SURPRISE, Ariz. _ Right-hander Tyson Ross said that he continues to regain strength lost after an October operation for thoracic outlet syndrome, but he also continues to stick to the Texas Rangers' deliberate plan for getting him back on the mound.
Ross, who has a one-year deal worth a base pay of $6 million last month, said that he doesn't expect the juices that come with the first workout, which arrived Wednesday, and with being around teammates to make him want to push his rehabilitation.
"I've just been putting one foot in front of the other and making pretty good progress," Ross said. "Showing up to spring training every year, you always have that little surge of energy early on. Everybody's looking forward to cranking it up and getting going. I've just got to be patient with it."
Ross said that he is throwing every day, maxing out at 100 feet, but he isn't sure when he will get on a mound or even when he's likely to return. A club official said last month that Ross should be back by May or early June.
The Rangers are actually helping him stay in the moment by revealing only a few days' worth of the rehab plan at a time. He isn't allowed to get ahead of himself.
"Rehab is about small windows and small wins," Banister said. "If you look to far out front looking for that big win, it's like being in January and waiting for Christmas. It's a process of knocking days down. Rehab guys need to have singular, daily goals."
