"The Brandon Webb Express back to the majors is slowing down on a daily basis. Webb insisted before spring that he was cleared to be on the same pitching schedule as others. Earlier in the week, pitching coach Mike Maddux said Webb would throw off a mound every third day, rather than every other day, as a precaution. On Sunday, though, the "third day," he did not throw.

And he won't for the foreseeable future.

"We're not going to get on the mound until we've built up the arm strength to the point where it needs to be," Maddux said. "Is that three days from now? Five days from now? Seven days? I don't know. It's a variable schedule we are working with."

Maddux didn't rule out the possibility that Webb wouldn't be ready to start the season -- "we could be a little late," -- but also said it was much to early to make any determinations."