Angels reliever Ryan Madson hits comeback trail ... again

After his third major setback in his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery in four months, Angels reliever Ryan Madson has started throwing again, playing catch for six minutes for the second straight day on Friday.

“The saga continues,” Madson said.

Only this time, Madson won’t author the story. The right-hander has pushed himself too hard, too soon, resulting in elbow tightness and inflammation that has prevented him from advancing beyond a one-inning stint in a Class-A game on May 13. So, he’s decided to put his fate in the hands of the team’s medical staff.

“Now, I’m not going to push it,” said Madson, the former Philadelphia Phillies closer who last appeared in a big league game in October 2011. “They’re going to have an unbiased schedule, and I’m not going to have any input. My voice has been taken out of the equation.”

Madson was shut down after injuring the elbow in a Feb. 1 bullpen session, and he hit another snag in late March. Soreness after his May 13 inning prevented from beginning a stint at triple-A Salt Lake.

“I thought I had it whipped a couple of times,” Madson said. “Even this last time, I tried not to be too optimistic, and look what happened.”

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