Keone Kela is nearing a return.
"He threw a sim game this afternoon," Pirates head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk told reporters at PNC Park Wednesday. "He threw 21, all (of his) pitches. Early indication [is] he's recovering well. No issues with any of his pitches. We'll see how he feels tomorrow then the next steps will be determined after he sits down with the group, notably [Clint Hurdle, Ray Searage and Neal Huntington]."
From here, Tomczyk says the team "will determine if competition is the next step" for him.
In addition to Kela:
• Jameson Taillon remains at a no-throw status. He's on the 60-day IL with a strained right forearm flexor tendon.
• Trevor Williams is six days removed from his right-side strain. "He is engaged in rehab activities, so he's engaging his shoulder, he's engaging his core," Tomczyk said. "He's responding well to that at this point in time. So we continue to be optimistic that this will not be as long as this potentially could be."
• Chad Kuhl and Edgar Santana continue to work back from their UCL reconstructive surgery.
• Nick Burdi continues to rehab in Florida. "As we indicated with nerves, these take time," Tomczyk said. "At this present time, he's feeling better, but his symptoms have not completely resolved, which is a normal, expected result for what he's dealing with at this point in time."
• Corey Dickerson is scheduled to throw to bases, which he also did Tuesday. He took swings off Kela during Kela's sim game. There were "no issues reported there" and he's "getting close" to a rehab assignment discussion.
• Erik Gonzalez is almost four weeks post-op from clavicle surgery. He will get another X-ray tomorrow. Based on those findings, the Pirates will "progress his baseball activities as tolerated."
• Jung Ho Kang is going through a full batting-cage routine with no restrictions or limitations. He is also throwing and the team expects him to hit on the field in the coming days to "potentially have a discussion of beginning some type of rehab assignment with him in the near future, as well."
• Gregory Polanco (finger) is all cleared and ready to play.
• Lonnie Chisenhall is away from the team due to a personal matter and has "still experienced left calf tightness." His status is TBD.
• Francisco Cervelli (upper-chest contusion) is "going through the workday." They will assess his availability off the bench tonight against the Rockies.
