After throwing close to 50 pitches apiece to minor league hitters on March 12, right-handers Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras officially had their training wheels taken off.
According to White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, both were scheduled to begin pitching in Cactus League games, starting with Contreras on March 15. "Every time we come out here, we are doing things, and we are climbing and getting closer to them being back and getting into the fourth and fifth spot (of the rotation)," Cooper explained.
"Nothing is pointing in any other direction than a positive direction again."
Contreras, who came back months ahead of schedule from a ruptured left Achilles, has been slightly ahead of Colon, simply because he's been throwing all of his pitches in camp.
The throwing program has been slightly different for Colon, simply because he had a cleanup surgery on his right elbow.
"For Bartolo, it was fastball-changeup, with some occasional curveballs," Cooper said of the live bullpen sessions Colon went through in Phase 2 of his throwing program. "We are building up and throwing everything up because they are going to be in a game."
With all eyes on them.
But even with the two now scheduled into the starting spring rotation, Cooper wasn't ready to write their names in for the regular-season rotation.
"No, no, no, not yet," Cooper said. "We would be foolish right now to automatically think they are going to be (Nos.) 4 and 5 (in the rotation). But in the meanwhile, we have all the other guys ready.
"If they continue to progress and stay healthy and stay well and continue to climb, they are going to be our fourth and fifth starters."
What that means for Jeff Marquez and Clayton Richard is that they also will remain on a starting pitcher schedule, and if they continue to pitch well, they are sure candidates to be long relievers come Opening Day.
"They are going to be the backup guy when they first start, and then after that we have to figure out if we want to stretch those guys," Guillen said. "I don't count on (Contreras and Colon) yet.
"I wish I could say that now. I would be the happiest man in camp, but I can't. I know they are going forward and everybody is happy the way they throw. We are optimistic about this. In the meanwhile, we can't sit here and say we got them because I don't know yet."
The one luxury is Marquez and Richard are solid safety nets.
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