Category Archives: Progress

INDIANAPOLIS With plenty of focus on how the Packers might use free agency and the upcoming draft to improve their defense in 2017, Head Coach Mike McCarthy isnt discounting another key piece to the process.

Last year at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Packers targeted four defensive players who turned into 2016 draft picks defensive linemen Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry, and linebackers Kyler Fackrell and Blake Martinez all of whom played as rookies.

Their progress in Year 2 could have as much impact on Green Bays upcoming season as any new acquisitions, a factor McCarthy remains fully in tune with as a draft-and-develop coach.

Kenny, if you just watch the progression of the season, his arrow was straight up, McCarthy said at this years combine of Clark, the Packers first-round pick in 2016. I thought he played extremely well the last six weeks. Thats something we need to build off of.

Clarks game indeed went to another level late in the year. A key rotational player throughout the season, his impact plays increased down the stretch.

The 6-3, 314-pound former UCLA star recovered a fumble against the Vikings on Christmas Eve, batted down a pass in Detroit in Week 17, and led the defense with five QB pressures in three playoff contests. He also had a tackle for loss on a screen pass in Dallas. More than just the stats, Clarks influence at the line of scrimmage stood out on film as well.

If Clark continues to develop a disruptive game similar to Mike Daniels, the Packers will have a difficult tandem to handle on the interior up front in the defenses primary nickel package.

I think hell take that big jump as a second-year player, McCarthy said. It starts in the weight room.

The weights will be the ticket for the other three as well.

Lowrys game could expand with a full offseason of strength training. Mostly a five-technique end in 2016 aligning head-up over the offensive tackle the 6-6, 296-pound fourth-round pick from Northwestern could see more snaps inside in his second year, potentially rotating with Daniels and Clark.

He came on at the end of the year, McCarthy said of Lowry, who recorded his two sacks in back-to-back weeks in December. Get another year of weightlifting, and he can play the one and the three (technique).

McCarthy sees Fackrell, a third-round edge-rusher from Utah State, with a good frame (6-5, 245) suited for 10-12 pounds of lean muscle mass this offseason. His biggest rookie highlight was a strip-sack of Giants QB Eli Manning in Week 5.

Crediting Fackrell for coming a long way on special teams as a rookie (he ended up tied for second on the team with nine coverage tackles), McCarthy wondered if he was headed for a strong finish like Clark had it not been for a late November hamstring injury that cost him three games.

If he doesnt get hurt he probably would have played a ton more, McCarthy said. He was playing really well when he got that hamstring.

Martinez, a fourth-round inside linebacker from Stanford, also missed three late-season games due to injury (knee).

Early on, though, he earned the starting job to open the year and took on communication responsibilities in the huddle, a credit to a young player. After the knee injury, his snaps on defense were reduced as Joe Thomas assumed more of an every-down role.

All of it, the ups and downs, provided experience Martinez (6-2, 237) can learn from as he seeks out and competes for his role on defense moving forward, whatever it may be.

I think all these guys that fight through injuries, particularly when theyre young, early in their career, it needs to be evaluated and make sure theyre preparing themselves to get through that phase, McCarthy said.

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Packers counting on progress from defensive draft picks - Packers.com

(London) The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a prominent international coalition, should suspend Azerbaijans membership for failing to carry out key reforms, a coalition of 21 groups including Human Rights Watch, ARTICLE 19, and International Media Support said today. The EITI, during its board meeting in Bogota, Colombia, on March 8 and 9, 2017, will review Azerbaijans efforts to ease its repression of civil society groups as the EITI had required.

The Azerbaijani government is snubbing the EITI by ignoring its requirements for reforms and by systematically dismantling the countrys independent civil society, said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director at Human Rights Watch. Following numerous reviews and warnings, the EITI should suspend Azerbaijans further participation until the government makes serious, lasting changes to allow nongovernmental groups to operate freely in Azerbaijan.

The EITI brings together governments, companies, and nongovernmental groups to encourage better governance of resource-rich countries by fostering open public debate about the use of oil, gas, and mining revenues. The EITI requires member governments to foster an enabling environment for civil society and to refrain from actions which result in narrowing or restricting public debate in relation to implementation of the EITI.

An Azerbaijan state flag flutters in the wind on an oil platform in the Caspian Sea east of Baku, January 22, 2013.

2013 Reuters

At its most recent board meeting, in October 2016, the EITI gave Azerbaijan four months to eliminate legal and bureaucratic obstacles inhibiting civil society engagement in the initiative. It required Azerbaijan to simplify procedures for registration of nongovernmental organizations and for the receipt and registration of grants from foreign donors. The reforms would eliminate some mechanisms for the government to interfere with and stop the work of independent groups. The EITI had downgraded Azerbaijan from a full member to a candidate country in April 2015, due to the governments interference with independent civil society.

A joint letter signed by 22 human rights groups worldwide and sent to EITI board members on February 10, 2017 assessed the Azerbaijan governments lack of progress on the reforms identified by the EITI and called on the board to suspend Azerbaijan.

In January, Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers adopted two decisions changing regulations for donor organizations and grant registrations. While the new regulations simplify some procedures for grant registration and reduce the number of required documents, they do not repeal the restrictive laws and fail to meet the EITIs demands, the groups said.

Superficial regulatory changes dont address the fundamental issues that led to downgrading Azerbaijans status in the EITI, or the specific corrective actions set by the board, said Katie Morris, head of Europe and Central Asia for ARTICLE 19. The credibility of the EITI validation process requires the initiative to suspend Azerbaijan for its failure to comply with the initiatives commitment to civil society participation.

The Azerbaijani authorities repeatedly harass activists who advocate good governance and transparency, preventing civil society groups from participating in public debate and advocacy, including on extractive industries, the pillar of Azerbaijans economy. Two members of the local civil society coalition that participates in the EITI remain jailed on spurious charges, and several other members have been forced to flee the country, fearing politically motivated prosecutions.

Local groups in Azerbaijan are counting on the EITI to remain principled and stand up for them and their essential contributions to public accountability and transparency, said Gulnara Akhundova, head of global response at International Media Support. Azerbaijans embattled civil society deserves nothing less than clear and unbiased support from EITIs international board.

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Azerbaijan: No Progress On Key Reforms | Human Rights Watch - Human Rights Watch

Mulberry, Fla. - Mosaic hosted an on-site review Thursday of the remediation process at a sinkhole at its New Wales facility.

The sinkhole, roughly 152 feet across at its widest point and 220 feet deep, is one of the largest in the state. It opened in late August and sent 215-million gallons of radioactive water into an underground aquifer.

On Thursday, the media got an up-close look at the sinkhole and the progress crews are making to fill it. The review involved a briefing on the progress of remediation activities and a tour of the site.

Representatives on site told ABC Action News that Mosaic expects to spend $70 million to fill the hole and clean the water.

Up here at the base of the toxic sinkhole. It's like a little community up here. Crazy sight. @abcactionnews pic.twitter.com/0zGxvn0Iea

RELATED | Mosaic's toxic sinkhole now getting filled

Retired hydrologist claims Mosaic ignored signs

Earlier this month, workers started pumping a concrete-like mixture into the ground as part of the stabilizing phase. Crews will pump enough concrete to fill 7 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Mosaic hopes to have work complete by rainy season, which in Florida typically starts in May.

The sinkhole sounded alarms for people living in and around the area who were concerned contaminated water may have leaked into their well water systems. All testing done on the wells, however, has come back negative.

The state has ordered regular well testing through 2018.

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Mosaic to spend $70 million to repair Polk County sinkhole - ABC Action News

Fort Worth Star Telegram (blog)

Dallas Cowboys news: Second-year tight end Rico Gathers making ... Fort Worth Star Telegram (blog) Rico Gathers was taken in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Dallas Cowboys: Cowboys TEs: Rico Gathers making progress ...Dallas News (blog) Jason Garrett: TE Rico Gathers has 'made a lot of progress'247Sports all 6 news articles »

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Dallas Cowboys news: Second-year tight end Rico Gathers making ... - Fort Worth Star Telegram (blog)

By Jeff Rice

Journal-Advocate staff writer

Progress has been made in the area of LGBT rights in Colorado, but that progress has to be preserved and built on.

That was the message Tuesday evening to a handful of local residents who attended a One Colorado briefing on the organization's work over the past six years. The Sterling briefing was part of a 10-stop statewide tour by One Colorado to update Coloradans on progress in gaining and retaining equal rights for LGBT citizens.

One Colorado was founded in 2010 and Executive Director Daniel Ramos told the group discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community has actually gotten worst over the past five years.

"We don't know whether that's because there are more (LGBT) people out or whether it's just a growing backlash," Ramos said, "but in almost every aspect of life, discrimination is getting worse."

But the good news, Ramos said, is that Colorado continues to be generally a safe place for LGBT people, and Coloradans generally favor "the protection of individual civil rights and personal safety."

Ramos said school districts are getting serious about training their staffs to combat bullying, with more than 9,000 people trained in the past five years. He also pointed to the adoption of HB-1254 in 2011, which created a fund and established criteria for anti-bullying training and enforcement in Colorado, primarily in the public schools. That was followed by Proposition BB in 2015 that allowed the state to keep $66 million in marijuana tax revenues and divert $2 million of that into the fund created for anti-bullying training.

Ramos said the Colorado Genral Assembly continues to knock down legislation aimed at diminishing the personal rights of LGBT citizens, particularly in the area of "conversion therapy" for children. There is a widely held myth that sexuality can be changed through therapy, but subjecting children to such practices is illegal in Colorado. Nonetheless, some Colorado legislators repeatedly introduce legislation to repeal that law, and Ramos said constant lobbying is needed to fight that.

"It has been proven again and again that this conversion therapy actually is harmful to children, but people continue to try to get it legalized," he said. "Fortunately, we have a (partisan) mix in the legislature that doesn't allow that, but it's a constant battle."

Ramos said the Affordable Care Act, and Colorado's decision to expand Medicaid to cover state residents, has helped LGBT people access health care that wasn't available to them before.

"A lot of people are reluctant to come out to their physicians, so ACA brings more doctors into the system, and that makes it easier for people to find a physician they feel comfortable with," he said. "That's important, especially in mental health, because we've found that medical people actually tend to over-report their acceptance of LGBT people. Over 85 percent of caregivers said they were comfortable working with LGBT patients, but the patients report a comfort level of about 60 percent."

Attempts to modify Colorado's birth certificate law need to continue, Ramos said, and members of the state legislature are slowly beginning to change their minds about it. A "modernization" act was introduced in 2015 that would have allowed a transgender person to have their birth certificate changed even without sexual reassignment surgery. A House committee defeated the measure.

Ramos also played a video made by Gov. John Hickenlooper voicing support for the transgender community.

"Hickenlooper is one of the few governors who will even say 'transgender,' let alone give support and recognition," he said. "We're going to lose him in two years, and we need to work on getting an LGBT-friendly majority in the legislature."

Jeff Rice: 970-526-9283, ricej@journal-advocate.com

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LGBT equality a work in progress - Journal Advocate

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Watch live: April the giraffe continues to progress toward giving birth FOX31 Denver HARPURSVILLE, N.Y. April the giraffe continues to progress as normal as she nears giving birth at the Animal Adventure Park in New York, officials said Thursday. It has been a week since thousands of people began tuning in to the park's live stream, ... and more »

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As the biggest fiasco in Oscars history unfolded, photographer Andrew H. Walker hoveredin the wings offstage, his camera trained on Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty as they prepared to announce the winner of cinemas grandest prize: the Academy Award for best picture.

Except, of course, that isnt preciselywhat happened. As the masses would learn later, Brian Cullinan, one of two PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants in charge of guarding and distributing the winners envelopes, had handed Beatty the wrong one containing a duplicate copy of the card awarding Emma Stone the best actress prize for her role in La La Land. And so, moments later, Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner of cinemas top award, which rightfully belonged to Moonlight.

[After Oscars debacle, all eyes are on PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant Brian Cullinan]

Walker, a staff photographer for Shutterstock, watched the stunning drama unfold through his camera lens. Over hours spent shooting on the red carpet and backstage, Walker had taken more than 4,000 photos, he told The Washington Post.Buried among them were a couple of throwaway images that, his photo editor later realized, were rather important: They appeared to document the defining moments that led tothe unprecedented Oscars disaster.

The photographs, published exclusively by Variety, reveal a striking sequence:

The first image, taken at 8:53 p.m.Pacific time, shows Warren Beatty embracing Casey Affleck, who had just won best actor.Cullinan stands behind the pair, apparently holding his cellphone andtwo red envelopes in his hand.

One of those envelopes would be handed to Beatty in the minutes that followed.Walker told The Washington Post that Beatty had the envelope in hand a few moments before he walked out on stage: I took a photo of Warren Beatty looking at the monitor, and a split second before I took that photo, he was standing there with [the envelope] in his mouth, because he was tucking his shirt in, Walker said. Im disappointed I didnt get that photo.

At 9:03 p.m., Beatty and Dunaway took the stage to present the best picture award. As they read their introductions, Emma Stone posed for photographers waitingbackstage and Cullinan snapped a pichimself. At 9:04 p.m., Walker photographed Cullinan looking at his phone, just one minute before Cullinan shared a photo of Emma Stone on Twitter. Three minutes after Cullinans tweet was posted, at 9:08 p.m., Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land as best picture.

Walker saidhe was shooting with such speed and intensity that hetook no notice of Cullinan in the frame at the time.

It was definitely not a photo of [Cullinan] in particular. At the time I didnt even know he was on his phone Im just surveying the scene, Walker said of the 9:04 photo. I had been guided to also shoot the stage staff, the stage managers, as a courtesy.

As the cast of La La Land took the stage and began to deliver acceptance speeches, Walker became aware that something was wrong, he said.

There was this weird sort of uncomfortable pause, this tension. And there was a woman standing next to me who was wearing a headset, and I dont know who she was, but she started swearing to herself, but pretty vehemently.

As Walkers photographs circulated Wednesday, new questions arose: Why was Cullinan pictured holding two envelopes, when he should have been preparing to hand over only the best picture winner? Why hadnt the veteran accountant been focused on the task at hand as the single most important moment of the ceremony approached, as opposed to looking at his phone? And why hadnt the two accountants, both of whomare charged with memorizing every winner, acted immediately when they heard Dunaway announce the wrong film?

[Two people knew instantly that La La Land didnt win. Why did it take so long to announce?]

The worst-case scenario was oddly foreshadowed by Cullinan in an interview with the Huffington Post days before the show. Cullinan and his ballot co-leader, Martha Ruiz, were asked what would happen if the wrong winner were to be announced by mistake. The pair said they didnt know what the precise protocol would be, as such a calamity was entirely unprecedented.

We would make sure that the correct person was known very quickly, Cullinan said. Whether that entails stopping the show, us walking onstage, us signaling to the stage manager thats really a game-time decision, if something like that were to happen.

He added: Its so unlikely.

Despite the barrage of criticism, jokes and never tweet quips circulating about Cullinan, Walker saidthe accountantseemed like a polished professional.

The impression that I got about him and a couple of other people who were running the stage area there, my impression of them was just that they were very capable people, he said. I was flabbergasted at the amount of moving pieces that have to go into producing this show.

But, for Cullinan and Ruiz, it would be their final year as part of the process. On Wednesday, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs told the Associated Press that the two accountants would not be invited back to the Oscars.

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An Oscars photographer's pictures reveal a historic blunder in progress - Washington Post

When beleaguered specialty flooring retailerLumber Liquidators Holdings Inc.(NYSE:LL) reported earnings on Feb. 21, the market seemed quite pleased, sending shares up almost 17% on the day.

And there were definitely a number of things to like. Revenue was up 4.3%. Same-store sales (also called comps) were up 2.8%. Both of these metrics were up in the prior quarter as well, the first time the company has seen consecutive quarterly sales growth in nearly two years. But as much as this seems like the start of a material turnaround, there are still things investors need to keep a close eye on.

Lumber Liquidators is struggling to balance high expenses with a slow sales recovery. Image source: Getty Images.

Let's take a closer look at Lumber Liquidators' results, and what to expect going forward.

Fourth quarter:

Revenue and net income in millions. Data source: Lumber Liquidators.

Fiscal 2016:

Revenue and net income in millions. Data source: Lumber Liquidators.

The first thing of note is that, despite a full-year revenue decline and a larger net loss in 2016 than the prior year, Lumber Liquidators did show the aforementioned revenue growth, as well as a reduced net loss in the most-recent quarter. This is a continuation from the third quarter, when the company reported a narrowed loss, on stronger sales than the year before.

On the surface, the company's 3% comps growth is a nice move forward after almost two full years of falling sales at existing stores. It was also an acceleration from the third quarter, which saw 1% comps growth. But all comps aren't created equal, and peeling back the layers indicates that the company is still dealing with challenges getting more customers inside its stores.

There are two things that drive comps: how many customers come in, and how much they spend. In the third quarter, the company said about half of that was from invoicing more customers and half was from higher average invoices. But in the fourth quarter, the average sale was up 3%, while the number of customers invoiced fell 0.2% from the year-ago quarter.

Let's call this good-news, bad-news.

On the good side, it would appear the company has made progress with its with product lineup and has been able to reduce the amount of discounting that it has had to do to close business. This had played a big role in the company's losses over the past couple of years, with sharp discounting taking a big bite out of margin. In the latest quarter, Lumber Liquidators' gross margin was 32.9%, up by nearly half from 23% one year ago.

LL gross profit margin (quarterly) data by YCharts

The bad news, is that traffic -- measured as paying customers -- has at best, stabilized.

There's more, too. On the earnings call, CFO Martin Agard said merchandise sales fell 0.4%, while installation revenue rose 0 74%. In other words, the company sold slightly less flooring but had a lot more customers pay for installation.

In the fourth quarter, sales, general, and administrative expense were 36.6% of sales. This figure was higher than in the year-ago quarter but below the 41.3% of sales for the full year. There are two ways to reduce SG&A impact: Cut costs, and grow sales. Management said that, over time, both of these things will happen.

On the cost front, the company reported $3.4 million in legal and professional fees related to ongoing litigation. Eventually the company will be able to conclude this ongoing litigation and its legal expenses will normalize, but it's far from clear how long it will take for that to happen, or the financial impact of any resolution.

But that's not the only place Lumber Liquidators is spending more money. On the earnings call, Agard pointed out that SG&A spending when adjusted to exclude these legal and settlement-related fees increased $12.6 million year over year. This adjusted number is important to understand, as it pertains to what the company is spending to operate its stores.

And Agard said that, beyond the need for more staffing in the nine new stores opened in 2016, the company was investing more resources in its professional sales and installation teams, compliance, and other corporate capabilities, as well as an increase in advertising expenses. These investments are keys to the company's ability to drive higher sales going forward.

As noted, this is starting to pay off with the "do it for me" customer, with installation revenue up 74% in the quarter. At quarter's end, the company only offered installation from two-thirds of its stores, but it plans to have installers servicing all of its stores by year's end.

Lumber Liquidators is in a precarious position, still burning more cash than it's generating, but also needing to continue spending to spark growth. This situation showed in the fourth quarter, when the company reported only $10.3 million in cash and a $20 million increase in debt. Inventory jumped $48 million, but accounts payable were $45 million higher.

In other words, the company's margin of safety shrank slightly in the period as the company spent more cash on operations and invested in building out its inventory ahead of the 2017 flooring season. On the earnings call, Agard said the debt balance was up another $25 million to address some of those payables, which have come due since the end of the quarter.

However, there's a big timing element. Management said this is the biggest inventory-build period and that inventory levels will steadily decline over the course of the year, and that cash from the sale of those products would help the company pay down its revolving credit facility. All told, the company had around $74 million in available liquidity at the time of the earnings call.

Lumber Liquidators has seen sales stabilize and is getting growth from its burgeoning installation business. These are positives. But at the same time, the company's ongoing legal issues and investments in growth have it spending a lot more cash than it's bringing in. With $74 million in liquidity available, the company does have time to work through its challenges, and the recent big spend on inventory could position the company to generate positive cash flows sooner rather than later.

But until ongoing litigation is resolved and there's a clear sign that Lumber Liquidators can live within its own cash flows, investors should probably keep a very close eye on the company.

Jason Hall owns shares of Lumber Liquidators. The Motley Fool recommends Lumber Liquidators. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Lumber Liquidators Making Progress, but Not Out of the Woods Yet - Motley Fool

Photo courtesy of the Department of Water Resources Photo courtesy of the Department of Water Resources

OROVILLE, Calif. - Crews continue to make progress as they work to remove an estimated 1.5 million cubic yards of debris at the base of the main spillway at the Oroville Dam.

To put the amount of debris being removed into perspective, 1.5 million cubic yards is nearly the size of the Houston Astrodome and could fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool 450 times.

Two days after the Department of Water Resources (DWR) halted flows down the damaged flood control spillway, debris removal at the base of the spillway continues in an effort to lower the water level in the channel. This is key to the reoperation of the Hyatt Power Plant. The power plant will give the DWR an additional way to release water from Lake Oroville.

60,000 cubic yards of debris have been removed since the flows were stopped and Lake Oroville is not expected to rise above 860 feet in elevation while the spillway flows are halted. If the lake were to reach the maximum expected level of 860 feet, the water would still be 41 feet below the emergency spillway.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the lake was at 844 feet, 57 feet below the emergency spillway. Inflows are roughly 20,000 cfs which has resulted in roughly 3-feet of rise in lake elevation since Tuesday.

If the Hyatt Power Plant function is not restored within several days, the Department of Water Resources will use the flood control spillway again to regulate reservoir levels.

Once operational, the Hyatt Power Plant can discharge roughly 14,000 cfs, which will allow the DWR to better manager reservoir levels through remaining spring runoff season.

"Our crews are making fantastic progress removing debris from the area," said DWR Acting Director Bill Croyle. "We are working around-the-clock to get the power plant back online," added Croyle.

DWR does not expect the anticipated wet weather to interfere with debris removal or to create a lake elevation concern. The DWR will continue to monitor the weather forecast as the weekend approaches. The halt of flows has allowed theDWR to better assess the extent of erosion on the flood control spillway that was first noticed February 7. This information is critical to the long-term design of a repair.

Flows necessary to meet fishery requirement in the Feather River downstream of the dam are being maintained at 2,500 cfs through use of water stored in the Diversion Pool and Thermalito Forebay and Afterbay. This complex of small reservoirs just downstream of Oroville Dam will provide enough water to maintain flows for approximately six days.

DWR and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife together are continuing to survey the Feather River downstream of the Oroville Diversion Dam and rescuing fish that have become stranded in pools as the river level falls. Adult salmon are not expected to be in the river at this time of year. On Tuesday, about 500 juvenile salmon and a few steelhead trout were rescued.

Work continues on the area below the emergency spillway, access roads, and other areas eroded by the emergency spillway runoff. Rock benches and check dams are being constructed to slow water and erosion should the emergency spillway be required to be used again.

DWR continues to monitor the status of the dam, spillways, and the Hyatt Power Plant and the progress of repair activities. DWR is coordinating with Caltrans to address the impact of emergency response activities on local roads, and this will continue throughout the operation.

Biologists from Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Water Resources worked to rescue fish stranded by the receding waters of the Feather River since the outflows from the damaged Oroville Dam spillway were stopped Monday. The fish were then released back into the Feather River.

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DWR: Progress at Oroville Spillway continues - KRCRTV.COM

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) For Lucas Duda and Zack Wheeler, just getting back on the field was a positive sign.

Part of the banged-up brigade for the New York Mets last year, both Duda and Wheeler said Wednesday that theyre making progress in their return from injuries.

Duda resumed full baseball activities after being slowed by back and hip issues. After a morning workout, the power-hitting first baseman said he wasnt sure when hell make his spring training debut in a game.

I dont want to say two days, three days, then it be four or five, but well take it day-by-day, Duda said.

Duda had been sidelined at the plate since last week, when he took too many swings in batting practice. He received cortisone shots in both hips, waited a couple of days for them to take effect and was restricted to fielding grounders.

The 31-year-old Duda hit .229 with seven home runs last year while being limited to just 47 games because of a stress fracture in his back.

Today (is) a normal day, he said. We took a little bit of time because we were afforded that luxury. Well get back at it today and see how it goes.

Its nice to come to the field and get to play baseball. Ive been doing defensive stuff. Today is the first day and well see where Im at, he said. I felt great (early in camp). It was just a spasm, so we treated it very gingerly and kind of took our time. Theres no issue.

Wheeler, who had Tommy John surgery two year ago, has been gradually working his way back up to speed in an attempt to return to the starting rotation. He is competing with fellow right-handers Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, who pitched well last season as the rotation broke down, for the final starting spot.

It felt good getting back out there facing batters. Its another step closer, Wheeler said after a live batting practice that featured approximately 20-25 pitches. (I didnt throw) 100 percent, but the feel was good, pitches were good. Still a little fine-tuning on the curveball, but that will come. Im happy where Im at right now.

Manager Terry Collins said earlier in the week that the next step was for Wheeler to pitch in a simulated game with reliever Fernando Salas. The plan is to get Wheeler into a game after the Mets are off next Tuesday.

Of the other four starters in the rotation Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz only opening day starter Syndergaard, was able to avoid surgery. Subsequently, the health of the Mets starting pitchers is a focal point as March begins.

The rotation begins to take shape on Friday when Syndergaard pitches at home against Houston and deGrom goes Saturday. Harvey, returning from season-ending thoraric outlet syndrome surgery last July, pitches Sunday while Matz starts Monday.

NOTES: 3B David Wright (shoulder impingement) is getting a second opinion. His status for opening day is in doubt. . INF Phillip Evans provided the Mets only run in a 6-1 loss to St. Louis in Jupiter by homering off LHP Austin Gomber in the ninth inning. Evans won the Eastern League batting title last year, hitting .330 at Double-A Binghamton . OF Michael Conforto hit two singles and raised his spring average to .538. Top prospect SS Amed Rosario also went 2 for 3 and is up to .364. . Mets pitchers gave up six runs, but only one was earned.

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Duda, Wheeler say they're making progress in return to Mets - FOXSports.com