DUNEDIN, Fla. -- An MRI has shown Brett Cecil has inflammation of his shoulder but the Jays left-hander is expected to resume throwing next week.
Cecil, who is bidding to become Toronto's closer, missed a scheduled appearance Friday against the Baltimore Orioles because of a tender shoulder. He asked for a precautionary MRI to see what the issue was.
The prognosis was positive and he says treatment is already paying dividends.
"I can already start it feeling to get better," Cecil said Saturday morning.
He doesn't plan to resume throwing until Tuesday.
"Hopefully (I'll) be in a game by the end of next week, next weekend or something like that," he said.
Cecil, who had been feeling "a dull achy pain from time to time," believes the shoulder problem may have come from doing too much after his start at camp was delayed by a bout of flu.
He says he "got after it a little too hard" in his first bullpen session.
"It was my first off-season away from Florida so I was obviously excited about getting down here," said Cecil, who spent the winter in his native Maryland.
He said he had no problems throwing before camp.
"It's definitely a lesson learned," he said. "Especially when you get sick, you lose a lot -- more than you may feel. So it's definitely a lesson learned for me. If that was to happen again, maybe not throw a (bull)pen that day and wait a few days when you get some throwing underneath me and then do it again.
"Thankfully it's just inflammation and that stuff can be taken care off very simply."
Cecil, who pitched in Monday's intra-squad game, said the setback should not impact his seventh season with the Jays. He believes he can get by on six spring outings.
A longer absence would force the Jays to re-evaluate the role of Aaron Sanchez, who is being stretched out at a starter this spring. Sanchez finished out last season as closer.
"It puts a little more focus down there," conceded manager John Gibbons, referring to Cecil's injury and the decision on closer. "Sanchy, we don't know where he's going to end up. We're in a good spot either way, I think, but it might make it a little more important."
There was also good news about star outfielder Jose Bautista, who sat out Friday's game with hamstring tightness.
Gibbons said Bautista was expected to play Sunday.
"He's a little bit better today so we'll give him one more day."
