CHICAGO -- Rehabbing starter John Danks was all smiles Friday while taking about the progress he continues to make after shoulder surgery.

The Chicago White Sox left-hander said he is now throwing 50 pitches from a mound three times a week as he gets ready for the upcoming season.

“I think the biggest part is being able to bounce back each time,” Danks said. “I haven’t had any kind of setback to this point and I’m going to try and start throwing breaking balls next week so we’ll see how that goes.”


But talk that Danks will be at full speed by the start of spring training, or will be ready to join the rotation from the first day of the season, are still a bit premature.

“I’m putting something behind (the pitches), I’m not just lobbing it up there,” Danks said. “I’m pushing it as far as I can go now. It isn’t 100 percent cutting it loose, but it’s enough to make me feel pretty good about where I’m at right now.”

Danks has even gone as far as to ask for a bigger workload but the White Sox’s training staff, led by head trainer Herm Schneider, continues to insist on the conservative route.

“They want me to stay where I’m at,” Danks said. “That makes me feel good about things. I feel like I can go a little more than what I’m doing but I’m where they want me to be.”