Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo said he felt “fine” after a 25-pitch bullpen session, the first time he’s thrown off a mound since experiencing elbow pain last week that led to his scratch from a Sunday start in Taiwan.

“I threw hard, I always throw as hard as I can,” said Kuo. “I’m not worried.”

That’s literally a relief to the Dodgers, who still are without right-handed set-up man Ronald Belisario. He remains stuck in Venezuela with visa problems. The Los Angeles Times reported that Belisario’s driving under the influence case, which supposedly was the cause of his delay, had been cleared up by pleading guilty to a lesser charge. The the Dodgers still had no timetable for the pitcher’s arrival. — Ken Gurnick