Zych, working his way back from bicep tendon transfer surgery in his right shoulder, threw off a bullpen mound Tuesday for the first time this spring, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "It's a big thing for me," said the 26-year-old right-hander. "Everything felt great. It took a few throws to kind of get comfortable and obviously I wasn't trying to do too much. Just hit the glove and feel good about it."
Zych fired 20 pitches at what he estimated was 85 percent velocity and is scheduled to toss his next bullpen session Friday. Assuming no setbacks, he could be ready for game action shortly after Opening Day. Zych flashed promise in his brief major league stint last season, posting a 1-0 record and 3.29 ERA over 13.2 innings.