MILWAUKEE -- Brewers closer Corey Knebel was back pitching on a mound Saturday sooner than expected, but the club will be especially cautious during this phase of his comeback from a left hamstring injury, manager Craig Counsell said.
"He will throw more bullpens because this is where the injury happened," said Counsell, referencing Knebel going down after throwing a pitch against the Cubs on April 5. "We'll go a little slower in this segment of it.
"But he saw the doctor [Friday] and the doctor green-lighted him throwing on the mound. So progress has been great so far."
Asked whether Knebel's mound session went well, Counsell said, "He walked off with a big smile, so, yeah."

Knebel threw one of two notable bullpen sessions Saturday. Left-hander Boone Logan threw 25 pitches, including some sliders, in the other, his second 'pen since suffering a left triceps strain in Spring Training. The next step is to face hitters on Tuesday in a simulated game.
"If that goes well, ship me out," Logan said.
Out for a Minor League rehab assignment, that is. The Brewers will probably test Logan in back-to-back outings in the Minors, which means Logan is likely to make at least 3-4 appearances before reinstatement to the Major League roster is in play.
Counsell didn't reveal a firm timetable for either Knebel or Logan returning to active duty for the Brewers.
Arcia sits
Shortstop Orlando Arcia said he could play if needed, but he was held out of batting practice and the starting lineup a day after rolling his ankle while hustling back to first base after an eighth-inning single in Friday's win over the Marlins.

With an off-day coming Monday before the Brewers begin a three-city road trip in Kansas City, Arcia might find himself on the bench again for Sunday's series finale against Miami.
"I don't think we're completely out of the woods yet," Counsell said. "We'll give him at least today, and then we'll see how he's doing going into that off-day. … We're going to give it a day or two and see how he progresses. Is he going to be ready for the Kansas City series? That's what we'd say."
Arcia was optimistic he wouldn't have to wait that long.
"I'm ready to play," he said. "That's the manager's decision. If it were up to me, I would play [Sunday], but the manager makes the decision."