ST. LOUIS -- Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling underwent an appendectomy Saturday during the team's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, but might miss only one start.

	Schilling

Schilling was in pain on Friday when the team arrived for the start of a three-game series and manager Bob Brenly said the pain was more acute on Saturday. Cardinals team doctors recommended surgery.

"Obviously it was something we couldn't afford to put off for another couple days," Brenly said. "The doctors that came over from the St. Louis side recommended that they do it right away.

"We thought about maybe even flying him back to Phoenix but they suggested against that."

The Diamondbacks hesitated to characterize the operation as an emergency situation.

"I don't think it was ruptured or burst," Brenly said. "But it certainly looked like it was heading in that direction."

A team spokesman characterized the operation as a ``routine procedure.'' Schilling could be released from Barnes-Jewish Hospital as soon as Sunday but likely won't return to Arizona until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Schilling, 36, has been runnerup for the NL Cy Young award the last two seasons, winning 45 games during that span. He was 23-7 last year with 3.23 ERA.

This year he's 1-2 with a 4.28 ERA. Schilling had been scheduled to pitch Wednesday at home against the Expos.

All of the Diamondbacks starters had been set to get an extra day of rest before the surgery, and now the remaining four in the rotation will work on regular rest.