TEMPE, Ariz. -- C.J. Wilson doesn't believe the tendinitis that recently has bothered his throwing shoulder will keep him from being ready by Opening Day. The Angels starter had some trouble warming up for a bullpen session on Saturday, then underwent a precautionary MRI on Monday that revealed what general manager Billy Eppler deemed "mild tendinitis."
Wilson said he'll be shut down from throwing for "just a couple days."
"It's a fairly normal thing for guys to have, tendinitis or dead arm or something like that during this phase of the year," Wilson said. "This is no different than that. In that regard, it's very normal."
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Wilson underwent surgery to clean out bone spurs and chips in his left elbow last August, but he was able to spend the offseason on his normal throwing program and even got off the mound a few times before the team held its first workout on Friday. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he's "a little more comfortable with everything that's going on" with Wilson after the MRI.
"But I think it's going to be a process to get him stretched out," Scioscia said, "or functional where he can go out there and throw his bullpens and get ready to start the season."
Wilson has had four elbow procedures in his professional career, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2003, along with other less-significant elbow cleanups in '08, '12 and '15. Wilson bounced back very well after the '08 and '12 procedures, but he's 35 now, with 1,202 2/3 innings under his belt -- including the postseason -- over the past six years.
The left-hander isn't sure if he'll have to miss a start in Spring Training, but he doesn't think it matters much anyway.
"If that's going to put me at a higher level of performance, a higher level average, then that's more valuable," Wilson said. "We obviously have a lot of depth."