"Joe Nathan said there were no surprises when he awoke Wednesday morning, and that's a very good thing.

One day after pitching for the first time in almost a year, Nathan reported some soreness in his surgically repaired elbow but said it was nothing he hadn't expected.

"There's some aftereffects," Nathan said. "Some tightness, but it was everything I expected coming in. I was able to play catch today. It got loose, and I went out and did all the drills. I'll take care of things today, do the right thing, and come in tomorrow feeling a lot better.

"As time goes along, it will feel better and better each day."

Nathan threw a 20-pitch inning Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox and said he used all his pitches, including three sliders, which are notoriously tough on the arm.

"I figured if you are going out there you might as well use it all and try to get better," he said.

The day after his first pitching appearance, Nathan noted earlier, would be a key juncture in his recovery.

"I had a normal wake-up this morning," he said with a laugh. "I stretched out to see how I was feeling. I got up, and I felt good. I felt better than I thought I was going to.""