Phillips' recovery takes big step forward

MILWAUKEE -- The lengthy recovery process for injured second baseman Brandon Phillips took a step forward on Monday. Phillips, who underwent surgery on July 11 to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, began working out in Cincinnati.

"He was able to throw. Obviously, he was not able to catch the ball," manager Bryan Price said. "And he's able to do some movement with his hand a lot more comfortably. It's still on schedule but still a ways away."

Phillips was expected to miss a minimum of six weeks following the surgery.

First baseman Joey Votto, on the disabled list with a distal strain of his left quadriceps, underwent the second of two rounds of platelet-rich plasma injections on Monday.

"That is a part of his recovery," Price said. "There's a couple of days of ... I don't want to say total inactivity, but resting it and not doing a lot on the knee and then returning to his rehab protocol. It's a good thing, because it's a part of his recovery that we think is going to be very effective."