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| Tuesday, March 27 | |||||
| Sore elbow to send Smoltz to DL | |||||
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – John Smoltz, who missed all of last year
following reconstructive elbow surgery, will start this season on
the disabled list and miss at least two starts.
Smoltz, whose spot in the rotation will be filled by left-hander
Odalis Perez, threw for 10 minutes in the bullpen Tuesday as
manager Bobby Cox watched along with pitching coach Leo Mazzone,
team physician Dr. Joe Chandler and fellow teammates Kevin Millwood
and Tom Glavine.
"He's really throwing hard," Cox said.
Smoltz, the 1996 NL Cy Young winner, said he threw about 60
pitches at 80-90 percent and felt no pain.
"My arm will always be the indicator, and today it was really
good," Smoltz said. "I tried to approach it like a game."
Smoltz, 33, started three games and pitched a total of six
innings earlier in the spring before being slowed by tendinitis in
the elbow. He hasn't pitched in a game since March 16 against the
New York Yankees.
He rested about eight days before throwing in a bullpen session
Sunday. Smoltz said the time off helped.
The next step will be improving Smoltz's stamina to the point
where he can throw five to six innings a game.
"I'm just doing what's best, not what I want to do, and I think
that's what it comes down to," he said. "The best is probably
(to) take a little more time."
Cox said Smoltz will start in a minor league game in Florida on
Friday and pitch four innings, then return to Atlanta.
Smoltz will make probably make two more starts in the minors and
then should be ready to pitch for the Braves.
Perez, 22, had reconstructive elbow surgery in July 1999 and
missed all of last season. He has pitched 18 innings this spring,
giving up 16 hits and striking out 16 with a 3.00 ERA.
Perez made his first start of the spring in Monday night's 6-5
win over Detroit and allowed three runs and four hits in five
innings with seven strikeouts, including five in a row. His
fastball was clocked consistently in the low 90s with one as high
as 96 mph.
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