Diamondbacks' Corbin, Hernandez throw 1st bullpens since Tommy John surgery
The Arizona Diamondbacks' pitching staff is returning to good health two steps at a time.
Pitchers Patrick Corbin and David Hernandez both took a significant leap forward Tuesday in their recovery from torn elbow ligaments, throwing bullpen sessions for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
"It was awesome, exciting," Corbin told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. "I woke up this morning and it felt like it was my first start of the season. Tomorrow it will be one year from surgery, so just a great feeling to get back out there. I wasn't really nervous because I knew my elbow felt great from all the work that we've been doing this past year."
Corbin, 25, hasn't thrown in a major-league game since 2013, when he was an All-Star with a team-leading 208 1/3 innings and 178 strikeouts.
The Diamondbacks, though eager to return Corbin to the top of the rotation, are expected to exercise caution with the young left-hander. He'll likely remain sidelined until June at the earliest.
Hernandez, meanwhile, could map out a quicker return to the majors given his role in the Diamondbacks' bullpen.
The big right-hander, who struggled in 2013 prior to suffering a torn UCL in camp last spring, was among Arizona's most dependable arms from 2011-12, averaging 73 appearances with an 11.4 K/9 rate.
He's expected to rejoin the team by early May.