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Josh Johnson begins throwing; Padres mum about exercising $4-million option for 2015

Mike McGinnis / Getty

San Diego Padres right-hander Josh Johnson played catch Thursday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April that cost him his entire 2014 campaign, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock.

Johnson's injury-ravaged season, however, triggered a $4-million team option for 2015 that former Padres general manager Josh Byrnes added to the contract the oft-injured starter signed last winter.

The Padres have until three days after the conclusion of the World Series to either exercise or decline the option, and general manager A.J. Preller has yet to reveal his intentions for the 30-year-old.

"With Josh, he's a guy that everyone has a positive feel for," Preller said at the end of the regular season. "We'll try to go down the road with him and try to present something to him that makes sense to him."

Johnson, meanwhile, said his frustrating 2014 season was a learning experience for him, despite his dubious injury history, as he has thrown just 333 innings since the beginning of 2011.

"I look at it (his time in San Diego) as unfinished business," Johnson said. "It's been very tough to sit here and watch it all. But I think I've actually learned more this year than any other year in the past put together.

"And as far as the organization goes, I couldn't have hoped for anything better. They've been amazing. Not just the training staff, either. But everyone here … there's been a lot of support."

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