A's closer Sean Doolittle is encouraged by his progress from a left shoulder injury, but he is still expected to miss the start of the 2015 season, according to an MLB.com report.

The southpaw, diagnosed with a slight rotator cuff tear last month, received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to alleviate inflammation and irritation, and Doolittle told reporters at FanFest on Sunday, "I feel a lot better now than I did."