What they saw only increased expectations that Lidge would reach full strength sometime before mid-April. Throughout the 25-pitch session, the closer displayed the velocity and arm strength that convinced the Phillies to trade away prospects Michael Bourn and Mike Costanzo, plus reliever Geoff Geary, for Lidge and utility man Eric Bruntlett in the offseason. Although Lidge said later his command "wasn't as sharp" as he would have liked, he delivered pitch after mitt-smacking pitch with ease and, most importantly, reported zero pain in the surgically repaired knee.

"What was really surprising to me was I didn't feel anything at all," said Lidge, who reinjured the knee on Feb. 23 and had arthroscopic knee surgery 2 days later. "So that's very encouraging."

How encouraging? Well, it depends on who you ask.

Throughout the past 2 weeks, Lidge has professed a desire to return by Opening Day. Yesterday, he said he felt the bullpen session represented a "good step closer" to making that desire a reality. He'll throw off the mound again tomorrow, then could face live hitters in either batting practice or a simulated game as soon as Friday.

But the Phillies' front office wants to make sure Lidge is healthy before he returns to game action. That might mean keeping him out for a week or two of the regular season, even if the closer himself feels ready to pitch.

"I know he's probably shooting for Opening Day, and that's a great goal, but our goal is to make sure when he's pitching in Philadelphia, he's pitching healthy," Amaro Jr. said. "With the progress he's made, if he misses a week, if he misses 5 days, if he missed 2 weeks, whatever it may be, the goal again is to make sure that he is healthy."

The Phillies have that luxury thanks to the presence of Tom Gordon, the veteran reliever who saved 34 games for the team in 2006. But Lidge doesn't sound as if he wants to waste much time in getting back on the field. The Phillies originally gave him a timetable of 3 to 6 weeks to recover from the surgery (Dr. Michael Ciccotti removed approximately 18 percent of his right meniscus on Feb. 25). By the time Opening Day against the Nationals arrives, Lidge will have had 5 weeks of postoperative recovery time.

But another important date to keep in mind is April 8. That's the day the Phillies begin their first series of the season against the Mets in New York. And although the team doesn't view Opening Day as an all-important date, you can be sure it would like to have its 1-2 punch of Lidge and Gordon in place against its division rival.

Barring any setbacks, Lidge almost certainly will be back by then.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee seemed to err on the side of optimism when asked whether the closer would be ready by the time the Phillies host the Nationals on March 31.

"I would think it would be pretty close [to Opening Day]," Dubee said. "If he isn't [ready] for the 31st, it'd be in the neighborhood."

At that point, the question mark would move from Lidge's knee to his performance. Once one of the most productive closers in the game - he saved 103 games for Houston from 2004 to '06 - he struggled enough over the past 2 years that the Astros were more than willing to deal him.

The Phillies have expressed confidence in him, and Lidge's performance thus far seems to have justified it.

"As far as my arm goes, my arm feels great," Lidge said. "I feel good about what I did this winter and what I was doing so far in camp to be a little bit ahead of where I normally was, so that will hopefully help me." *