Chad Billingsley shut down with elbow discomfort

The long and winding road of Chad Billingsley's attempted comeback from Tommy John surgery is about to get even longer. The right-hander had his minor league rehab assignment shut down, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told reporters on Wednesday in Cincinnati.

Billingsley reported discomfort in his right elbow during his bullpen session on Tuesday, per Bill Plunket of the Orange County Register, and will head to Los Angeles to visit with team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Mattingly said Billingsley was unable to "max it out" during his bullpen session, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, and the team hopes to know more by Friday, when it returns home for a weekend series against Arizona.

Billingsley threw his scheduled 30 pitches for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, his second attempt at starting a minor league rehab assignment this year. During the first rehab assignment, which began on April 6 with the Quakes, Billingsley felt discomfort in his elbow during the start, unlike his Sunday outing.

Had everything gone as planned, Billingsley was going to pitch again for Rancho Cucamonga on Friday in Lancaster. But now, we wait for a new diagnosis of his elbow and just when he'll be able to throw again.