Ellis continues rapid rehab by catching Kershaw

LOS ANGELES -- The surprise in Sunday's simulated game wasn't that Clayton Kershaw pitched three innings without pain, but that A.J. Ellis caught three innings without pain.

Ellis is only 12 days removed from left knee surgery, but he said he "lobbied" to warm up Kershaw in the bullpen and then "lobbied" to catch the simulated game and kept catching for all 50 pitches.

"We've been plenty surprised every step of the way," Ellis said of his rapid rehab.

Ellis has backed off only with running, which is how he injured the knee two weeks ago. He also hasn't thrown to bases coming out of the crouch.

"The final hurdles," he said. "But as far as [other] baseball stuff, I feel 100 percent. Squatting never bothered me before. Just running, you know, my explosiveness."

The original estimate on Ellis's rehab was four to six weeks.

"I hope four is on the high side, the way I feel," he said. "Maybe I'll get out [on a Minor League rehab assignment] sometime soon."