Pirates' Sam Howard: Beginning mound work

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Howard (oblique) has started slope and mound progression as he works his way through a throwing program, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Howard incurred no setbacks with his right oblique strain while increasing his throwing distance off flat ground over the past couple weeks, so he'll take the next step forward in his rehab process. Once Howard completes a few higher-intensity bullpen sessions featuring his full arsenal, he'll then advance to facing hitters in live batting practice or simulated games before heading out on a rehab assignment. The lefty reliever appears unlikely to come off the 10-day injured list until the second half of August.