SURPRISE, Ariz. — Henderson Alvarez is inching closer to becoming a factor in the A’s pitching plans.
The right-hander, signed as a free agent in the offseason after undergoing shoulder surgery, threw all of his pitches off the mound Saturday for the first time this spring. He’s scheduled to face hitters shortly after the A’s head north to the Bay Area on Wednesday, and it stands to reason a minor league rehab assignment could follow after a couple of those sessions.
The A’s are targeting mid-May as a potential return date for Alvarez, though manager Bob Melvin cautioned that that’s on the early side.