AUBURN | One of Auburn’s injured starting pitchers could return this weekend, another is getting closer.

Sophomore left-hander Jack Owen missed last weekend’s start with tendonitis in his throwing shoulder while junior right-hander Davis Daniel hasn’t thrown since experiencing forearm tightness in his opening-day start Feb. 15.

“(Owen) and Davis Daniel saw Dr. (James) Andrews face to face yesterday,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said. “I think we’re clicking and in a good place with both guys. We’ll see how this bullpen goes.”

Owen threw three consecutive days this week and will throw a bullpen from a mound for the first time Thursday night at South Carolina. If all goes well, the sophomore left-hander could start or be used out of the bullpen Sunday.

The injury first flared up in his start against Tennessee March 16.

“We really couldn’t push a bullpen any earlier,” Thompson said. “We thought he needed to get out to a certain distance before getting on the mound. We achieved that. Now we’re allowed to go get on the mound and we’re going to do that at South Carolina. We’re taking him. Jack will be one of our 27 and if we didn’t think there wasn’t any chance he would pitch we wouldn’t. Will that be one inning or a start? We’ve left that Sunday spot open as a potential once we see how this Thursday night bullpen goes.”

Owen is 3-0 on the season with a 0.31 ERA, 33 strikeouts and just two walks in 29.0 innings. He started the season with 26.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run and set the school record with 28.2 consecutive innings dating back to last season

Daniel started a light throwing program March 21 and could begin throwing from the mound in the next two to two-and-a-half weeks.

“I said immediately with him that we’re going to not be on a rushed schedule,” Thompson said. “We want to make sure we’re taking care of Davis’ arm. We won’t be guessing if he feels good or not. We’re going to make sure. I think we’ve followed that protocol. I think Dr. Andrews is happy where that stands right now.

“I think another two and a half weeks would put him on the mound as long as things keep checking out. I don’t know what’s realistic. Could I say the last month of SEC play (Daniel could return to the lineup) if everything stayed on the timeline and we had no setbacks. I think that’s what we’re shooting for.”

The Tigers’ pitching rotation for this weekend will be sophomore right-hander Tanner Burns Friday, freshman left-hander Brooks Fuller Saturday and TBA Sunday with the hopes Owen will be ready to go.

No. 12 Auburn (20-5, 4-2 SEC), riding a three-game losing streak, plays at South Carolina this weekend. The game times are 6 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Friday’s game is on SECN+ while the SEC Network will carry both the Saturday and Sunday games.