Capps thrilled with back-field return to mound

Wil Myers steps out of the game with a trainer against the Royals in the bottom of the 4th inningPEORIA, Ariz. -- It didn't matter that it was on a back field against Minor Leaguers. When Carter Capps took the mound for the first time this spring, it was nothing short of a big deal.

That he was on any mound throwing to live hitters a year and eight days after undergoing Tommy John surgery was an impressive feat in itself. So the one inning he pitched Thursday at the Padres' complex was a significant step.

"It's nice to face hitters, obviously -- that's huge mentally," Capps said Friday, feeling fine the day after his spring debut. "It's not really anything physically different. It's just the…