Twins' Phil Hughes: Has been throwing off a mound

Hughes, who had season-ending surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome in July, has pitched off the mound five times this winter as he gets ready for spring training, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Analysis:

Hughes had a rib under his right shoulder blade removed during the surgery and later said he'd been experiencing discomfort since 2015. He also suffered a broken leg from a batted ball in July and a later examination revealed the shoulder issue. Hughes struggled with injuries and finished with a 5.95 ERA last season. It sounds like Hughes will be healthy at the start of spring training and should be set with a spot in the rotation. While his poor season was likely almost all due to injuries, Hughes' velocity has declined sharply the last two seasons.