Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Thursday that Brault (lat) has increased his throwing distance off flat ground to 120 feet, MLB.com reports.
The left-hander hasn't hit any snags since being shut down in late March with a left lat strain, but he's not far enough along in his throwing program for the Pirates to map out a minor-league rehab assignment, much less a return to the big-league rotation. Even if Brault remains setback-free while he ramps up, he could be hard-pressed to make it back from the 60-day injured list before the All-Star break.