I'd rather err on the side of caution. He says he feels great.

Overall, I think it's been really good. That's an expectation here. Our goal every year is to have the best and deepest pitching staff in the country, so we expect them to be successful.

Guys are doing what they're suppose to, so hopefully they keep gaining confidence as we go along. You never want to get too comfortable. You just have to stay focused and lock in. I always tell guys that the best competition is within the pitching staff.

He needs to pitch like a fifth-year senior for us.

He would love to be the opening starter, and he proved last year he can handle pressure.

He proved last year he can handle the pressure. He's very competitive and driven.

From here on out, there's nothing easy. There's no soft spots, so hopefully we keep doing what we have been doing.

His command is starting to come around. The painful thing is we don't have a farm club to send him to, to do rehab starts. His stuff is outstanding. Every time we send him out there, we think this is the time we're going to see the real Kris Johnson.

He's fresh and everything looks good.