BRADENTON, Fla. – Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Kris
Benson, bothered for two weeks by a sore elbow and forearm, will
not will not throw again for about a month, ESPN.com's Peter Gammons has learned.
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| Benson |
After throwing 41 pitches in a minor league camp game Monday,
Benson was told by manager Lloyd McClendon he would make his next
appearance Saturday.
But with Benson's elbow still not 100 percent, Todd Ritchie will
start the season opener instead.
"It's very disappointing," Benson said. "I was really looking
forward to pitching in the opener and being there for the opening
of PNC Park. Now, I've got to miss it all and that's pretty
depressing."
Benson hasn't pitched in a major league exhibition game since
March 10 against Minnesota, when he had trouble adjusting from a
high bullpen mound to a much smaller mound on the field.
"We're going to put him on a conservative throwing program,"
general manager Cam Bonifay said. "The way it looks, if everything goes well, we'll
shut him down for two weeks. That would mean the third week in
April or the first of May."
Benson, who recently signed a $13.8 million, four-year contract
extension, is one of three Pirates starting pitchers currently
sidelined.
Right-hander Francisco Cordova, who had elbow surgery in August,
will travel to Birmingham, Ala., next week to meet with orthopedist
James Andrews. With Cordova's elbow hurting again, he may need
season-ending surgery.
Jason Schmidt, the Pirates' Opening Day starter last season,
still hasn't pitched in an exhibition game this spring as he
recovers from rotator cuff surgery and a cartilage injury in his
rib cage.
Schmidt, whose 2000 season was cut short by a shoulder injury,
probably won't be ready to rejoin the Pirates until at least late
April.
Bonifay has been trying to trade for a pitcher for nearly a
week.
"Hopefully we can shake loose a couple of pitchers, hopefully
acquire a couple from somewhere," Bonifay said. "If not, we'll go
with our youngsters."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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