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Dotel encouraged by latest session

Pirates believe closer could be ready for Opening Day

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By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

03/09/10 5:25 PM ET

TAMPA, Fla. -- Octavio Dotel's quest to pitch on Opening Day seems to be on track.

Dotel threw a 31-pitch side session in Bradenton, Fla., on Tuesday without incident, and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday. If he continues to progress, the Pirates' closer may be able to pitch in enough Grapefruit League games to be ready for the team's April 5 opener against the Dodgers.

"He was happy about it," pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said. "His arm angle was good. He threw the ball downhill. He threw a lot of strikes."

Dotel's bullpen session on Tuesday marked the first time he had thrown off a mound since Feb. 21, when the Pirates shut him down with soreness in his left side. Asked Friday if he thought he would be ready for Opening Day, Dotel said simply, "I'll answer you on that next week."

But general manager Neal Huntington has said consistently that he expects Dotel to be ready, and Pirates manager John Russell said on Tuesday that he was pleased with Dotel's progress.

"We'll just continue the process and get him ready to go," Russell said.

Dotel, a free-agent acquisition this past offseason, estimated earlier in the spring that he needs to register 10 to 15 Grapefruit League innings in advance of Opening Day. That has already become unrealistic, given Dotel's absence from the first quarter of the team's spring schedule. But the setbacks won't necessarily prevent him from being ready.

If Dotel can advance to Grapefruit League play by next week -- and Tuesday's progress indicates that he can -- then he may still be ready to pitch on April 5. Dotel will throw bullpen sessions on Thursday and Saturday, according to Kerrigan, then batting practice on Monday.

"And then we'll go from there," Kerrigan said.

Tuesday's session included only fastballs. Dotel will begin throwing breaking pitches Thursday.

Also encouraging Tuesday was the progress of reliever Joel Hanrahan, who threw 45 pitches off flat ground from a distance of 90 feet in Bradenton. Though Hanrahan is expected to begin the season on the disabled list with a flexor-pronator strain in his right elbow, his progress suggests that he shouldn't stay there for long.

Bucs bits: Charlie Morton called his Tuesday outing "kind of smooth," despite allowing three runs to the Yankees in three innings. The final stat line didn't bother Morton much, in large part because he felt he threw quality pitches to Nick Johnson, who contributed most of the damage with two solo home runs. ... Garrett Jones was in good spirits after sparking the Pirates early with a three-run homer and a double off CC Sabathia. "I'm starting to feel where I want to feel," Jones said.

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.