Matt Garza pushing for early May return

ATLANTA — Matt Garza rejoined the Cubs on Friday, one day after his first bullpen session since mid-February, and said he was already penciling himself into the rotation for May.

"I'm pushing for early May and pushing hard, too," Garza said.

The right-hander is on the disabled list with a strained left lat, which he first felt during a live batting-practice session on Feb. 17 in Mesa, Ariz. He had not thrown off a mound from that date until Thursday when he threw 25 pitches in Mesa.

"The first throw was kind of like 'ah' and after that it was, 'Let's go,'" Garza said of Thursday's outing. "I felt strong and I felt good. About 18 of the 25 [pitches] were strikes. [It’s progressing] slowly, but I’m coming back. Another [bullpen] on Sunday. I can't wait." — mlb.com

This could potentially leave the Cubs with an interesting decision since they promised a rotation job to Scott Feldman. It's something they shouldn't have done and while I don't think too highly of Carlos Villanueva as a starter, I think he's a better pitcher.