Brandon Webb faces live hitters

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SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Texas Rangers starter Brandon Webb threw 62 pitches in his first session to live hitters at spring training Wednesday.

Webb, who has pitched four innings in the major leagues the past two seasons because of shoulder injuries, believed the outing went as planned. He said if he feels fine Thursday that he could throw to live hitters again Sunday.

"It wasn't the best I've ever thrown; it wasn't the worst," Webb said. "It felt good. It's another step for me."

Webb said he could tell a difference on his pitches when the catcher started calling pitches halfway through the outing as opposed to the hitter knowing what was coming. Webb said his curveball was "terrible," but that the changeup was "OK."

"I've been real inconsistent in the 'pen," Webb said. "I thought it was a little bit better [today]. One time I was going outside and threw one that went inside and the movement was great on that pitch. It ends up working out, but it's not what you want to do. Overall, it was decent."

Manager Ron Washington, who kept a careful eye on the session, said it was what he expected.

"There were some good and some not so good [pitches]," Washington said. "But there was some sink. It wasn't the heavy sink that we'll see."

The club has not set any kind of timetable and Webb didn't even want to guess at when he might be fully ready to pitch in the majors again.

He did say he figured he was probably a month behind everyone else. The plan remains for Webb to build up arm strength before the club determines when or if he's ready to pitch in a Cactus League game.

Richard Durrett covers the Rangers for ESPNDallas.com.

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Richard Durrett

ESPNDallas.com

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Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.