"If all goes well, Trevor Hoffman could be closing games for the Milwaukee Brewers before this three-city, nine-game trip is over.

Hoffman, sidelined since mid-March with an oblique strain, will throw his second bullpen session Saturday before the Brewers take on the New York Mets at Citi Field. If all goes well, he will join Class AAA Nashville on Tuesday in Memphis and pitch an inning that night and Friday.

Barring a setback in those assignments, Hoffman will rejoin the Brewers and be activated next weekend in Houston.

"My last bullpen (session) went well," Hoffman said. "They want to put me in a game situation. A simulated situation would be lacking in game speed and intensity."

Hoffman said the key at this point was not to get ahead of himself in the final stages of his rehabilitation program.

"They wanted to be a little cautious," he said. "I'm not terribly patient. Fortunately, the bulk of (the time missed) was in spring training. We've had to take this day by day, according to how I feel."