CINCINNATI — Starling Marte rounded the bases Wednesday at Great American Ball Park.
Not in a game, mind you, but it's progress nonetheless for the outfielder as he continues to rehab from a strained right oblique injury suffered May 15. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list last Friday and would appear to be on track to return soon.
"He reengaged in some light baseball activities over the weekend and continued that progress today in Cincinnati," Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates’ director of sports medicine, told reporters Wednesday. "The early reports have been positive. He’s started to swing again. So he’s making very nice progress in his return from the disabled list."
Tomczyk added that Marte had been swinging in indoor cages until this point. Marte has started 40 games in center field this season and is batting .308/.366/.503 with five doubles, four triples, six home runs and 19 RBIs.
In other injury news:
• Jung Ho Kang continues to make progress at extended spring training in Bradenton. He's played in approximately 5-6 games with 10-12 plate appearances.
"The response has been well," Tomczyk said.
Kang is very early in his attempt to return. The Pirates would like the South Korean star to go through a typical spring training, which is usually around 36 games in about 45 days.
"We’ve had internal discussions that we want to make this as close to a spring training as he’s previously had in 2015 and 2016 to make sure that his body is optimized, that his baseball body is ready to participate at the major league level," Tomczyk said.
He added that the organization is working with two models on Kang, who was healthy in 2015 but was still recovering from knee surgery during the 2016 camp.
• Joe Musgrove was scheduled to throw his bullpen session Wednesday and remains in line to start Friday night at PNC Park vs. the Cardinals.
• Enny Romero has transitioned his rehab down to Pirate City and is playing catch on flat ground as he works his way back from a shoulder injury. They anticipate he'll be throwing out to 120 feet in the coming days.
• Minor-league reliever A.J. Schugel is still on a no-throw status. He’ll be reevaluated in 7-10 days.
• Minor-league outfielder Bryan Reynolds, acquired from the Giants in the Andrew McCutchen trade, is playing in extended spring training games and will soon be playing in consecutive nine-inning games before being returned to his AA assignment. Reynolds is recovering from wrist surgery for a broken hamate bone — the same injury Francisco Cervelli sustained in 2016.
• Three months after back surgery, outfielder Daniel Nava has had a setback and has stopped running at this time, but could resume within a few days.
• Minor-league pitcher Nick Burdi "is still dominating his Tommy John rehab," according to Tomczyk, and could be pitching in simulated games as soon as early June.