Billingsley making progress from lat strain injury

PHILADELPHIA -- Chad Billingsley's lat strain won't keep him on the DL as long as his last injury did, but that doesn't mean the Phillies aren't going to be cautious with the veteran.

After missing more than two years due to injury, Billingsley worked his way back into a Major League rotation on May 5. That return only lasted 10 days as he hasn't pitched since May 15 due to the lat strain.

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said before Wednesday's game that Billingsley has been making progress and is working toward a return.

"He's on a throwing program," Sandberg said. "He threw from 75 feet yesterday and he'll continue to throw. [He's] playing catch basically. We'll lengthen that out day to day and it looks like right now that he'll do an actual side [session] on Tuesday on the road trip.

"He's building toward that. He's progressing really well and we're taking it on the slow side of things. Building up to the side on Tuesday."