Danny Duffy is moving closer to a return to the mound for the Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals haven’t put a timetable or any specific date on Danny Duffy’s return from the injured list, but the veteran left-hander certainly continues to inch closer to being able to help a pitching staff in need of experience and depth.

On the IL since May 17 (retroactive to May 14) with a left forearm flexor strain, Duffy last pitched on May 12 against the Detroit Tigers.

Duffy, 32, threw 40 pitches in a live bullpen session on Friday prior to the Royals series opener against the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

“I felt really good. It went really well,” Duffy told The Star. “I feel like I could get outs right now. I feel like I could get outs right now. I feel like I could be dominant right now. So I’m really excited to get back. I’ve been grinding and really pushing to get back sooner, but they made the right move to be cautious.”

The forearm tightness that raised the initial concerns and caused the Royals training staff to send Duffy for an MRI has been eliminated.

“It’s gone. Everything’s gone,” Duffy said. “It’s one of those things, modern medicine is a miracle. We’ve got the right people who get their hands on us in the training room. So it was pretty expeditious, to be honest with you. It was obviously a scare. On the MRI, they said my ligament is completely intact, so we’re good. I’m not nervous about it at all. I’m ready to go. No holds barred.”

Duffy said he wasn’t sure what the next step would be, but he assumed it could come in a game setting. Though he reiterated that he hadn’t been told of any plans as of the time the Royals were taking batting practice on Friday.

“I’m ready to pitch, ready to throw baseballs competitively,” he said with a chuckle.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said prior to Friday’s game that he wouldn’t rule out Duffy rejoining the active roster during the club’s upcoming road trip. After their three-game series with the Red Sox, the Royals will go on the road for a 10-game, three-city trip with games against the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.

Through seven starts this season, Duffy has a 4-3 record with a 1.94 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, a .222 opponent’s batting average, 48 strikeouts and 12 walks in 41 2/3 innings. At the time, he had the seventh-best ERA among qualifying pitchers in the majors.