Colby Lewis has already started his rehab assignment once, but it was derailed last week because of a minor bout with triceps tendinitis that was said to be completely unrelated to his elbow surgery last summer to repair a torn flexor tendon.
After taking a week off since his last rehab outing, the veteran right-hander is set to go out on another rehab assignment on Monday, when he's scheduled to start for Double-A Frisco with hopes of returning in early June.
In his past three seasons with the Texas Rangers, following an earlier stint in Texas before going to Japan for two years, Lewis has compiled a 3.93 ERA and has established himself, at least so far, as the greatest postseason pitcher in Rangers history.
The Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson was told by Lewis he would need two more starts after Monday's, if all goes well, to prepare himself for a return to the majors for the first time in nearly a year. If he pitched every fifth day, that would be Lewis on schedule to make his return to the Rangers on June 4 at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
But the biggest issue at hand for the Rangers right now is to be sure Lewis isn't rushed back and feels 100 percent before he hits a big-league mound again, and Lewis insists the triceps issue is nothing to be too concerned with.
“It’s just the ups and downs of coming back — one thing feels good and then something else comes up,” Lewis told the Star-Telegram. “Everything else feels great. The repair feels awesome. If there was anything I was feeling with that, I’d be concerned.”
