Francisco Cordova, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ most reliable starter in his first full season in the rotation, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with inflammation in the right elbow.
The decision to deactivate Cordova (9-7, 3.41 earned-run average) came two days after he displayed uncharacteristic wildness and erratic velocity in a 9-4 loss to San Diego.
Cordova gave up six runs on six hits and walked four in 3 1/3 innings, his second-shortest appearance of the season. The speed of his fastball ranged from 86 m.p.h. to 92 m.p.h. and seemed to vary from pitch to pitch, an indicator he was pitching in pain.
“He’s had this on and off for about a month now, so we’re just going to give him a couple of weeks off,” manager Gene Lamont said. “I just think his arm’s tired and his elbow is bothering him a little.”
Cordova will receive anti-inflammatory drugs to treat the problem and the Pirates, unexpectedly still in contention in the NL Central, hope he can return in early September.
To replace Cordova on the 25-man roster, left-hander Chris Peters was recalled from Triple-A Calgary and is expected to start the second game of Monday’s double-header against Los Angeles.
BP for Davis: Eric Davis stepped into the batting cage Saturday for the first time since surgery in June to remove a cancerous tumor from his colon. Working on his own before the rest of the Baltimore Orioles took batting practice, Davis hit five homers.
“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I’m just a little tired right now. I took more swings than I’ve taken in a long time.”
Naimoli deal challenged: The former employer of Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli has asked a judge to terminate a severance agreement reportedly worth more than $3 million. The confidential agreement surfaced this summer in Harvard Industries’ Delaware bankruptcy proceeding. The company is an automobile parts supplier. Naimoli ran Harvard as chairman and chief executive from August 1993 until February, three months before the company entered bankruptcy proceedings.
