Is former Chicago White Sox starter Garland on comeback trail?

Jon Garland was on the guest list Saturday for Mark Buehrle Day.

After watching his ex-teammate have his uniform No. 56 retired at Guaranteed Rate Field, Garland was back at the ballpark Sunday.

The former Chicago White Sox starting pitcher threw a bullpen under the familiar watch of pitching coach Don Cooper.

At 37, Garland is contemplating a comeback.

Acquired in a trade from the Cubs on July 29, 1998, Garland pitched for the Sox from 2000-07 and was traded to the Angels for shortstop Orlando Cabrera before the 2008 season.

Garland also pitched for the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Padres and Rockies. The right-hander had major shoulder surgery in 2011 and made 12 starts for Colorado in '13 before being released.

Last summer, Garland started throwing again at his old high school in Granada Hills, California. That sparked the current comeback contemplation.

"I was throwing pain-free and it was putting a smile on my face because I love the game," Garland said.

Garland played golf with his former White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen, on Friday. Guillen is managing Los Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuela Winter League.

"I brought up that I was throwing and it was pain-free," Garland said. "(Guillen) was like, 'Well, (bleep). Come down to go throw.' If I pursue it, I'll reach out to the people I definitely know and go from there."

Before he hits the comeback trail for real, Garland said he'd need clearance from "mama at home."

He lives with longtime girlfriend Lovie Jung, who won an Olympic gold medal playing softball for Team USA and is now a firefighter. The couple have a 3-year-old daughter.

"The hardest thing for me would be leaving that long and saying bye to my daughter and not knowing if I'm going to be able to come visit," said Garland, who is a career 136-125 with a 4.37 ERA. "I'm so deep into being a dad and being a parent. I love it, and I truly don't know if I could leave my daughter for that long."