Injured Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina caught a bullpen session on Thursday, a small step on the road to getting back with the team.

"He had his brace on and was able to throw the ball back," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "It sounds like as expected (he's going) as fast as the medical team will allow. The doctors are allowing him to do things like catch bullpen and play catch. It's encouraging to see."

Still, Molina's return to the lineup, or even shipping out on a rehab assignment, is not imminent. He suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb while sliding into third base in a July 9 game against the Pirates at Busch Stadium.

"He still hasn't picked up a bat, hasn't gripped a ball without a brace," Matheny said. "We can't get too far ahead.

"It's encouraging to see him do some baseball activities. He's in terrific shape. He's really getting after it in the weight room. He's getting physically fit."

Matheny said he thinks Molina may be lighter right now than he was in spring training.