It’s not clear when A.J. Burnett will make his Pirates’ debut, but he took a step in the right direction this morning in Bradenton, Florida.
According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Burnett threw 30 pitches -- all fastballs -- during his first side session since undergoing surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone in his right eye on March 2.
Burnett told Kovacevic that he’s dealing with some swelling, but isn’t having any problems with his vision. He’s currently focused on building up his arm strength and is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Monday.
“I felt a little better than I thought I would strength-wise,” Burnett said. “Things have been going well. We’re on the right track.”
Burnett was estimated to miss two to three months following surgery, so he’ll likely won’t join the Pirates’ starting rotation until May or June.
