Diamondbacks' Matt Stites (elbow) feels good after first bullpen

Diamondbacks pitcher Matt Stites (elbow) threw about 20-to-25 pitches in his first bullpen session of the spring Thursday and said afterward that he felt good, the Arizona Republic reports.

Stites is scheduled to throw again Sunday and could make his Cactus League debut by the following weekend if he continues to progress well. He expressed relief that he was final able to get his spring preparation in gear.

"I don't know how these long rehabbers do it," Stites said.

Stites made his major-league debut in 2014 and finished the season with a 5.73 ERA and 26:16 K:BB ratio in 33 innings of relief.