HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- Less than two months after fracturing his left ring finger in his first and only spring training appearance, Astros left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez is throwing from a mound and ready to face hitters.
Pitching coach Brent Strom said Tuesday afternoon Valdez is "way ahead of schedule" in terms of his recovery since the March 2 injury.
Valdez, for whom it was once feared might have to go season-ending surgery, is now able to throw his fastball, changeup and curveball, according to Strom.
"This is a very resilient, strong man," Strom said. "He really wants to get back, desperately, so much to the point that he's trying to press this faster than our medical field really wants him to.
"Now, he's going to obviously have to face some hitters and place some energy and some intensity into the outings to see how his finger and his body holds up."
Valdez injured his left ring finger after being struck by a comebacker while pitching vs. the Mets in Port St. Lucie on March 2. There is no official timetable for his return.
Given the Astros' question marks from the pitching staff, Valdez would serve as a reinforcement, even if limited.
