SAN DIEGO -- Opening Day starter Tyson Ross played catch before the Padres' game against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night, marking the first time he has thrown since being placed on the disabled list on April 9.
Ross hit the DL -- retroactive to April 5 -- with inflammation in his right shoulder. Wednesday's throwing routine marked the first tangible step in a recovery process that is expected to be slow and cautious.
"I'm going to have to listen to my body and as I go through this throwing program, if I need to take a day here or there, definitely not push it to rush back," Ross said after throwing from around 50 feet. "The goal is to get back out there and be healthy for the rest of the season, at whatever date that is."
Ross is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he threw at least 195 innings. 
"I pride myself on the past couple of years here, being able to take the ball every five days and give this team a chance to win," he said. "It's been tough to sit back and watch the struggles earlier this year and know that I should be out there taking the ball and fighting for our guys. ... The reality is I just had to focus on the rehab and do it right."
Rea returns
Colin Rea was back in the San Diego clubhouse on Wednesday and is expected to start Thursday in the finale against the Mariners. Rea was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on May 23 in an effort to limit his workload.
The 25-year-old right-hander has never thrown more than 139 innings in a professional season and threw just one inning during his nine-day stint in El Paso.
"I knew what they were trying to do, and they were just looking out for me," Rea said about being sent down. "And that's a good sign when they're doing that. I got down there, got some rest, was able to throw an inning, too. I feel good, so it's good to be back."
Rea allowed one run on one hit during his inning, walking one batter and striking out two. The emphasis on the outing, though, was on fastball command.
"We were mostly working on four-seam fastball command and trying to be efficient," he said. "It was a long inning, but I felt good about it. Felt like the command was there with the four-seam, so I was happy about it."
In 50 1/3 innings with the Padres this year, Rea is 3-2 in nine starts and has posted a 4.59 ERA.

Poodles at Petco
The Padres on Wednesday announced "The Barkyard at Petco Park," which is made up of six dog-friendly box seats in left-center field.
According to a team release, "The Barkyard allows dog-loving fans to experience America's favorite pastime with their best friend by their side, in an elevated backyard-inspired setting."
Each of the six boxes has room for four people and two dogs, and all four tickets must be purchased together, regardless of the number of fans attending. Ticket prices vary game by game, but start at $100 for each of the Barkyard boxes.