It’s reached the point with Brandon Morrow where seeing him pitching at Wrigley again in any capacity would be a shock. Getting the flame-throwing righty back and pitching effectively is a pipe dream from which everyone woke up long ago, especially after complications from offseason elbow surgery required an injection of synthetic lubricant typically reserved for arthritic knees.

All the while, the Cubs have maintained cautious optimism that Morrow could return by September to give them a late-season boost. Morrow himself expressed a positive outlook when speaking to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers recently, but the former closer also revealed that he’d had yet another procedure to alleviate symptoms of a compressed nerve in his right elbow.

“On Monday, I had that nerve decompressed via hydrodissection,” the right-hander said. “It took away all the aches and pain I was feeling in my elbow and forearm.”

That sounds really significant, as does just about anything regarding a pitcher’s throwing arm, but it’s actually pretty minor. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “nerve hydrodissection…involves using an anesthetic or solution such as saline to separate the nerve from the surrounding tissue, fascia, or adjacent structures.”

So, you know, no big whoop. And it’s really not, since Morrow was back throwing again within a few days of the procedure.

“I faced hitters just last week, so I’m pretty built up,” Morrow told Rogers via text on Friday. “I’ve thrown the last two days and should be back on the mound early next week.”

Morrow said that he expects to progress quickly, which could be the case if he’s truly pain-free for what might be the first time in well over a year. Though he wouldn’t offer a timeline, he told Rogers he was “not more than a month away from being back.”

There’s no way to place any real faith in Morrow’s ability to make it back to Chicago, but this is probably the best news about his recovery since he hit the IL in the second half last season.