Marshall working to return, help down stretch

ST. LOUIS -- Reds lefty reliever Sean Marshall realizes time is short for him to return from the sprained left shoulder that has had him on the disabled list. Marshall has stepped up his rehab and throwing.

"I'm pushing it and trying my best," Marshall said on Tuesday. "I want to help the team out, especially in the last couple of weeks when the games are very important."

Marshall took a month off from throwing after a mid-July setback and resumed eight days ago.

"I built my arm strength back up and got familiar with my mechanics again," Marshall said. "I got a lot of strength in there last month. The shoulder is really stable. So far, it's been good."

Marshall has increased his long-tossing distance to 105 feet and hopes to soon to be throwing pitches from flat ground. If all goes well, he's hopeful he could be on a mound by the beginning of next week. But will his efforts be enough to get him back to help this season?

"I feel very optimistic," Marshall said. "I'm trying as hard as I can and working as hard as I can every day."