Furcal set to begin rehab assignment on Thursday

WASHINGTON -- While Jose Fernandez was in Los Angeles getting his cast and stitches removed, second baseman Rafael Furcal is moving closer to game action in Jupiter, Fla.

Furcal will begin his rehab assignment with Class A Jupiter on Thursday.

The 36-year-old opened the season on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain. But while on a rehab assignment in late April at Double-A Jacksonville, Furcal strained his right groin.

"Hopefully, he will continue to progress," Redmond said. "We've been down that road before. So hopefully this time he's good, feels good and gets healthy."

As a position player, Furcal is eligible to have up to 20 rehab assignment games.

"We didn't really talk about how many games," Redmond said. "But it's just like we talked about earlier when he starts coming back. He's got to be able to show his legs can play multiple days in a row and he can feel good and be able to run. That's the biggest thing."