Every morning at the Royals’ Spring Training facility in Surprise, Ariz., Daniel Tillo and a few of his teammates make the trek from the clubhouse to the tent that sits at the very back of the complex, in between two back fields. There, they find a piece of paper with their workout plan for that day and then begin the exercises, making sure they create some competition between them to keep the day from feeling like the last.

“It’s a long rehab process, so you got to break out the fun a little bit,” Tillo said Thursday. “So we like to see who’s the fastest sprinter, stuff like that. It can feel like the same stuff every single day, so having a fun time and being around good guys is a must, and helped me, for sure.”

Tillo, the Royals’ No. 21 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery that he had on his left elbow last July. The 24-year-old been in Arizona for the entirety of his rehab, but he has felt an extra jolt of energy over the past month with the full club at the facility for Spring Training -- and with some checkpoints coming on the calendar for him.

Tillo is throwing every day now, working up to 120 feet with his long toss, and he’s scheduled to pitch his first bullpen session during the second week of April, with June 22 circled for his first game back, barring any setbacks.

“That makes it a lot more fun, being out here, when you get to look forward to stuff like that,” Tillo said. “I’m really looking forward to getting on the mound and just continuing to develop as a player.”

Tillo, the Royals’ third-round Draft pick in 2017 out of Iowa Western Community College, had his eye on a potential bullpen spot in '20 after making strides last spring and impressing Kansas City's coaching staff with his heavy-action fastball, above-average slider and developing changeup -- the latter of which is a pitch that he’s been able to throw more recently while playing catch and flat grounds. Tillo was invited to Summer Camp and was competing for an Opening Day spot when something felt “off” in his elbow during an intrasquad game last year. He stuck to his throwing program for a few days, but he couldn’t ignore the pain once he threw as hard as he could during his next bullpen session.

That’s when he told director of pitching performance Paul Gibson, and the Royals sent Tillo for an MRI the next day, which showed ulnar collateral ligament damage in his left elbow.

“That was definitely a punch to the stomach last year,” Tillo said. “I felt so close in Spring Training. I felt amazing. I didn’t have a whole lot of arm issues, and especially last offseason and in Spring Training, I felt amazing. It’s unfortunate, but it’s been good to see the guys here at Spring Training. You feel like you’re a part of the team and playing baseball again. Days are going by a lot quicker now.”

As much as Tillo missed being on the mound and in the clubhouse last season, he was able to take positives away from the rehab, especially when he wasn’t allowed to throw and had to focus more on the weight room.

“My mobility has gotten a lot better,” Tillo said. “My ankles, my hips, my shoulders. I’m less tight overall. I’m in a position to where my arm is in a better position to move forward now that my body is in a better place overall.”

Tillo still has a long way to go until he’s fully back, and there are boxes he needs to check before appearing in a game for the first time since his injury. But he couldn’t contain his excitement when he thought about what it’ll be like to step on the mound again -- and move closer to his Major League debut. The Royals are still optimistic about Tillo’s development, and they believe his dynamic fastball will be a weapon in their big league bullpen once he’s able to complete his rehab.

“That’s why we play the game,” Tillo said. “I’m really excited for it. Just need to take it day by day, get all my stuff done here. Try not to look too far ahead, but man, I’m excited for that first game back.”