FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After receiving a cortisone shot to help relieve inflammation on his left elbow last week, Blake Snell threw a 20-pitch bullpen session at Charlotte Sports Park on Friday, and it all seemed to check out well for the left-hander.

“It felt great,” Snell said. “Tomorrow is key. Tomorrow is the day we’ll find out [how it feels].”

Snell and the Rays will wait to see how the left-hander’s arm feels on Saturday before making a decision on the next step. Pitching coach Kyle Snyder and manager Kevin Cash both stayed back to watch the session, which included Snell throwing all four of his pitches.

If Snell feels healthy on Saturday, the 2018 Cy Young Award winner could make his return to the mound Monday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin.

“I think just by his demeanor after, he was very excited with the way he felt,” Cash said. “Hopefully he feels good [Saturday] and we’ll get him back out there.”

At this point in the process, Cash added that it’s still too early to tell where Snell slots into the rotation at the beginning of the season. There’s still optimism that Snell could make his first regular season start without any delay, but a lot will depend on the next couple of days and how he feels.

Honeywell’s progress
Brent Honeywell Jr., who is recovering from a broken right elbow, completed his third bullpen session of the spring Friday, throwing 20 pitches, including five changeups. It was the first time Honeywell threw changeups off the mound, which is yet another positive sign in his recovery process.

“Everything is feeling good,” Honeywell said. “Just building up a little bit of endurance and I think that’s the biggest thing right now.”

Honeywell will continue to throw side sessions Tuesday and Friday, but has been able to tack on more work during every session. He threw 15 pitches in his first two bullpen sessions, but was able to increase that to 20 in his most recent session.

“It’s bouncing back a little differently than Tommy John, so that’s good,” Honeywell said. “Everything, as of right now, is on the right track. I like where I’m at right now.”

Morton’s schedule
Instead of pitching against the Pirates on Sunday, Charlie Morton will throw a simulated game in the backfields. The reason, according to Morton, is to have a more controlled environment in order for him to pitch four innings and throw approximately 60 pitches. Morton got into the third inning Monday against the Orioles, but he feels it’s time to “get going” and start building up innings. Morton also plans to throw another simulated game five or six days later, which would allow him to get to five innings and 75 pitches.

After that, Morton will return to Grapefruit League action to make one last start before the regular season. If Morton is scheduled to be the Opening Day starter, which appears likely, his simulated games could be March 8 and 14. He would then make his final Spring Training start March 20 against the Nationals, giving him six days of rest before Opening Day. But that’s only if the Rays decide to keep him on a six-day schedule.

Grapefruit League notes
Joey Wendle hit his second home run of the spring and got his first start at third base. Yonny Chirinos pitched three scoreless innings and hit 96 mph on a pair of fastballs in the Rays’ 5-3 loss to the Twins at CenturyLink Sports Complex.

Up next
The Rays have their second split-squad game of the spring Saturday. The Rays will host the Orioles at Charlotte Sports Park, while the other half of the team will travel to North Port to play the Braves. Top prospect Wander Franco is listed as a reserve in the game against the Braves.

Sean Gilmartin is scheduled to get the start against the Orioles, which can be streamed on MLB.TV and Gameday Audio. Joe Ryan will start the game against Atlanta, which is available on Gameday Audio.