Pirates' David Bednar: Cleared to play catch

Bednar (oblique) resumed playing catch Wednesday and is feeling pain free, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Bednar's ability to start throwing again just one day after being placed on the injured list suggests his right oblique strain is a relatively minor one. That said, he'll still need to progress to throwing off a mound and facing hitters in live batting practice or simulated games, so Bednar is far from a safe bet to make it back from the 10-day injured list before the end of the season. In the meantime, Chris Stratton represents the top candidate to pick up saves for the Pirates.