What It Means:

Chen had no issues with his left elbow following the session, in which he made 25 throws from a 60-foot distance. The 31-year-old lefty has been on the shelf since July 21 with a left elbow sprain, but there is some optimism that he'll be able to return to the rotation for Miami at some point in September. It appears Chen and the Marlins are going to take their time with this rehab stint.

Chen owns a career-high 4.99 ERA over 110 innings pitched this season, while his 4.24 xFIP is the worst since his rookie year in 2012. His 19.06 strikeout percentage is also below the big league average (21.01 percent).