Smiles all around. I have a hint of a grin on my face as I type this and I didn't even see him throw, but, having read the quotes and seen the pictures after Joel Zumaya's first throwing session with catcher Victor Martinez, everything seems promising. 2006 Zumaya showed up on Day 1 of 2011 [via Free Press]:
↵"The ball was just jumping out of his hand," Martinez said. "It was the first time I’ve caught him, and the ball was loud." [...]↵
After he watched Zumaya throw today, Leyland said: "He was hurt, and he was hurt bad (with a broken elbow last June). Now all of a sudden, he’s feeling really good. He looks great." [...]
"I have such a big smile on my face because my secondary pitches were lights-out today," Zumaya said. "I wish I was actually throwing in a game today.
"When I threw my first breaking ball, I smiled, and Victor smiled back. My change-up is getting better."
Of course, it's just Day 1. We won't update you every day on Zumaya's feelings or what we might be able to expect from him this season based on rosy quotes or pictures, but I think taking his comeback day-by-day is the safest approach with someone who has been a ticking time bomb since 2007.
↵Zumaya is still only 26 years old and, as Dave Dombrowski says, it's about time he starts seeing some good luck. At dusk of Day 1, Zumaya was looking good and feeling good; here's to it lasting.