Gomes resumes throwing after missing rehab start

ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays reliever Brandon Gomes began throwing again Saturday after discomfort in his strained right lat forced him to miss a rehab start last week.

Gomes has not appeared in a game since May 7. He said he felt "great" after he threw one scoreless inning for Class A Charlotte on June 24, his only rehab appearance since the injury, but he felt tightness before his next scheduled appearance.

"We wanted to let it slow down," Gomes said. "Hopefully, that's the end of it and we can move the process along quicker than it was the last time."

No date has been set for Gomes' next rehab appearance as long toss and bullpen sessions must come first. He called the process "starting over from a much stronger point."

This is the first stay on the disabled list for the third-year pitcher. He underwent Tommy John surgery while at Tulane University, but he said the uncertainty of this injury has been harder to deal with emotionally.

Gomes could not pinpoint a cause for the setback.

"It's extremely frustrating because I don't know when I'll pitch again, but there's no use being negative," Gomes said. "All you can do is stay positive every day and keep going about your business, knowing that if you keep doing the right thing, you'll be healthy and ready to contribute whenever I'm done with my rehab stint."

Gomes is 0-1 on the season with a 5.40 ERA in 14 appearances spanning 11 2/3 innings.