Tomorrow will be one year to the day since Billingsley underwent Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old right-hander made great strides through spring training without any setbacks and started a rehab game April 6 for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. However, Billingsley lasted just 1 ⅓ innings in the game before the scar tissue in his elbow snapped.
Billingsley said his last bullpen session, seven days ago in San Francisco, went well.
“It was improving, starting to feel better,” he said. “This is icing.”
Billingsley said the tendinitis was an expected part of the rehab process.
“The way (Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache) explained it, it’s just stretching out,” the pitcher said.
It’s possible that Billingsley will accompany the Dodgers on their next road trip, a nine-day journey through Minneapolis, Miami and Washington D.C. beginning next Tuesday.