Pirates' Marco Gonzales: Slated to face hitters

Gonzales (forearm) will throw live batting practice at Double-A Altoona on Wednesday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

After throwing a handful of bullpen sessions since the beginning of June, Gonzales will now go up against live minor-league hitters as the next step in his rehab process. Assuming all goes well Wednesday, the 32-year-old lefty will likely begin playing in rehab games with Altoona shortly afterward.