Beard Gets Back to Throwing

Brian Wilson's season went about like the Giants: not as planned.

Wilson dealt with injuries to start the 2011 season and then was shut down after August 15 last season. But he's making good progress in rehab and, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury-News, he'll be throwing off a mound soon.

"He's always been a workaholic, always in great shape," Giants trainer Dave Groeschner told Baggarly. "We're working on his range of motion in his lower body, his flexibility, and of course strengthening his elbow and shoulder. It's great he's here. It's easy for us to keep an eye on him."

Wilson visited the dreaded Dr. James Andrews in August, after he started dealing with elbow inflammation, and hit the disabled list a few days later.

He returned to the team in the middle of September but didn't pitch again, and was shut down for good on September 27.

The Giants handled him with extreme caution last season, largely due to Wilson's previous history with arm injuries. (He had Tommy John surgery in 2003.)

The move will pay off, too, if Wilson's ready to roll by the time the season starts in April; Groeschner told Baggarly that Wilson is "throwing without problems" and that the Giants "like what [they] see" out of the closer.

Expect further caution with Wilson during the season too. It wouldn't be surprising if the team limited his workload and kept him from rushing back onto the mound like he did in 2011.

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