Texas Rangers righthanded pitcher Michael Matuella threw 20 pitches off of a full muond today, according to Evan Grant, who says that this is the first time Matuella has thrown off a full mound since being shut down last summer.

Matuella was seen as a potential #1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, but Tommy John surgery prematurely ended his junior season at Duke, and the elbow issues, along with a history of back problems, resulted in Matuella sliding to the third round, where he was taken by the Rangers.

Matuella is seen as having as high a ceiling as any pitcher in the system, with the main question about him being his durability and whether he can stay on the mound. He had one appearance for Spokane in the Northwest League last summer before being shut down with a sprained UCL. The Rangers are hoping that an offseason of rest and rehab will have Matuella ready to go full speed again at some point this summer.

UPDATE — Jeff Wilson adds this: