Casey Janssen emerged from his first rehab appearance with Class A Potomac feeling more encouraged about his pending return from a shoulder injury than he expected.
“Everything was positive,” the veteran reliever said. “It was definitely a nice step, probably a bigger step than I initially thought it was going to be.”
Out since late-March with tendinitis in his right shoulder, Janssen made his minor-league rehab debut Thursday night, starting for Potomac and retiring the side on nine pitches. He didn’t know what his velocity readings were but said it felt like he was throwing harder than he did while at extended spring training in Viera, Fla.