DUNEDIN, Fla. -- It's not unusual for a team to take its time when preparing a pitcher for the rigors of the regular season. When that pitcher is A.J. Burnett, whose injury history has been exhaustingly documented, it's easy to wonder if something is awry.

Burnett is slightly behind the rest of the Blue Jays' pitchers this spring, but the club says it's nothing to worry about. It's simply a product of a preexisting plan to build Burnett up at a more gradual pace after a winter of light activity.

"When he came in, we had the plan that we wanted to go a little bit slower," Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said on Friday. "So that's what we chose to do. He's only really two days behind the group that he was actually working with."

The majority of Toronto's pitchers threw to hitters on Wednesday and Thursday, but Burnett waited until Friday to throw a batting-practice session. The right-hander limited his work to fastballs and changeups during the brief outing against Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, Scott Rolen and Curtis Thigpen.

Arnsberg noted that Burnett -- a veteran of the disabled list 10 times during his nine big league seasons -- would be ready to pitch an inning or two by the time the Jays begin playing Spring Training games. It's only in these early spring workouts that Burnett's schedule calls for an extra off-day here and there.

If anything, the more relaxed routine in the first few weeks of spring might help Burnett better prepare for the taxing pitch counts he'll encounter during the season. Toronto is hoping to have a full season from Burnett, who has been on the DL four times in his first two years with the Jays, thanks to various arm issues. Burnett was limited to 25 starts last season due to two stints on the DL with a right shoulder ailment.

Burnett will rest on Saturday, throw off the mound again on Sunday and isn't likely to appear in the intrasquad games slated for Monday and Tuesday. After a handful of Grapefruit League appearances, Burnett will begin working in his curveball.

Ryan watch: The Blue Jays plan on calling B.J. Ryan's doctor in the next few days, but that's a good thing. Toronto's closer is ahead of schedule in his return from reconstructive elbow surgery, and the club wants to get the go-ahead for allowing Ryan to begin pitching against hitters.

Ryan, who underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his left elbow on May 10, threw off a mound again on Friday, marking his ninth bullpen session since moving beyond flat-ground throwing sessions. Ryan's program called for 10-12 bullpen sessions before he could begin firing fastballs and sliders to batters.

So after a 10th mound appearance for Ryan on Monday, Arnsberg plans on calling Dr. Timothy Kremcheck, who indicated that he's going to be in Florida next week. With Kremchek's approval in hand, Ryan can continue to progress toward his goal of rejoining Toronto's bullpen in time for Opening Day.

"B.J. is really champing at the bit," Arnsberg said. "That's a good thing, but we also kind of have to harness him and make sure that he doesn't hurt himself or we don't hurt him. You guard on the cautious side right now."

Arnsberg added that Ryan has been pitching well when throwing out of a three-quarter arm slot. When the 6-foot-6 left-hander begins to overcompensate with a higher release point, he struggles some with control. Arnsberg added that it's not a serious issue; it's a sign that Ryan is simply regaining a feel for his delivery.

"All indications point toward this guy making really big strides right now," Arnsberg said.

Scouting Cuba: Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said that he wasn't sure if the scouting landscape in Cuba would be different now that Fidel Castro has stepped down as the country's president.

As far as Ricciardi knows, Toronto will still only be able to pursue players who have defected from Cuba. Within their farm system, the Jays have one Cuban player -- 22-year-old pitcher Kenny Rodriguez -- expected to be in Minor League camp this spring.

Ricciardi said the Jays were able to sign Rodriguez after he defected to Peru, where he then obtained citizenship. When an earthquake struck Peru in August, the Jays struggled to locate Rodriguez, who was also dealing with visa issues. Ricciardi hoped the right-hander would be arriving in Florida soon.

Falling behind: Visa issues in the Dominican Republic have also hindered the travel plans of infielders Hector Luna and Predro Lopez, as well as catcher Robinzon Diaz. Considering Diaz is one of Toronto's top catching prospects, the Jays were hoping to take a good look at him this spring.

"It's not helping him," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "But he's not going to make the team anyway. He's at that point in his career where he's got a good chance at getting a little more action to show everybody what he can do, but he's behind now."

Chacin throws: Left-hander Gustavo Chacin, who is returning from the season-ending shoulder surgery he had in August, pitched in a batting-practice session on Friday. Gibbons said Chacin would throw again on Sunday and that the Venezuelan southpaw might make an appearance in Tuesday's intrasquad game.

Game on? Arnsberg said that he hasn't talked to other clubs yet about potentially scheduling any "B" games this spring. Toronto's pitching coach said that he'd wait to call other teams until after a few Grapefruit League games if some of the Jays' pitchers weren't getting enough game action.

Quotable: "I'm going to start calling you 'the dancing bear.' You've got such soft hands. You make any pitch look good." -- Jays designated hitter Frank Thomas, joking around with catcher Sal Fasano