WESTFIELD — Anthony Richardson is expected to open training camp without any restrictions on his surgically repaired throwing shoulder, according to general manager Chris Ballard.

The Indianapolis starting quarterback was held out of the team’s final day of mandatory minicamp in June due to soreness in the joint, the first time in his recovery that he’d felt soreness at the site of the sprained AC joint that ended his rookie season.

But the Colts do not believe they will have to build any limitations or maintenance days into Richardson’s plan for training camp.

“I’m not expecting any limitations right now,” Ballard said.

Ballard downplayed the significance of Richardson’s brief summer absence.

“How many balls did he throw the day before? He threw over 100-something the day before,” Ballard said. “He could’ve been healthy and we might have pulled him back. When you fire off that many balls in one day, that’s tough on any thrower.”

Ballard’s comments echo the optimism Richardson has projected about his shoulder.

When he was forced to miss the final day of minicamp, Richardson indicated he was surprised that he hadn’t felt any soreness until that point.

For the second consecutive training camp, Richardson will be the center of the spotlight, even though he’s not locked into a battle for the starting job. The No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was able to play just 173 snaps before suffering the shoulder injury last season, leaving plenty of unanswered questions about his development and how the Colts plan to use him.

Indianapolis will begin answering those questions on the fields at Grand Park over the course of the next month.

“The more reps he gets, the better it’s going to be for him,” Ballard said. “Continue to grow and learn, like any player.”

Richardson will also likely play in the preseason for the second consecutive season.

He played 29 snaps in the preseason opener last August, sat out the second game because of the team’s joint practices with the Bears and then played 37 snaps in the preseason finale against Philadelphia.

The Indianapolis preseason follows the same format this season, opening with Denver at home, then two joint practices with the Cardinals before facing Arizona in the second game and a single joint practice with the Bengals before the preseason finale in Cincinnati.

“We’ll make that determination,” Ballard said. “But most likely, those guys are going to play.”

Including a quarterback whose health does not seem to be a concern for the Colts at this point.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts QB Anthony Richardson expected to open camp without restrictions