Montero progressing, begins baseball activities

PHOENIX -- Returning to the field after a period of doctor prescribed inactivity to rest his ailing back, D-backs catcher Miguel Montero threw the ball Friday and could take some light swings this weekend barring any setbacks.

"It went good, man," Montero said. "I felt fine."

On the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 29, Montero had stayed away from baseball activities before Friday to give the inflammation in his lower back strain a chance to subside. D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said Montero will likely visit the team doctor again before moving forward with his rehab.

"You have to start back into things at a reasonable pace, you want to keep it going in the right direction," Gibson said. "You have to err on the side of caution because you don't want to push him too hard and he regresses.