Mark Prior reported no lingering elbow pain after throwing off a mound Sunday in a practice session. He took Monday off and plans to throw again on Tuesday.
“It’s just mild discomfort, nothing I can’t work through now,” Prior said. “[It’s] just a little setback, no big deal.”
Prior last pitched in a Cactus League game on March 10, after which he experienced elbow pain.
“The arm feels good, the arm strength is good,” he said Monday. “I didn’t lose anything.”
Prior missed virtually all of spring training last year with a strained Achilles’ tendon and discomfort in his elbow.
“The difference between this year and last year is that last year I wasn’t in shape,” Prior said. “That’s the one positive thing about going out and being able to throw.”
Pitching coach Larry Rothschild says he is optimistic that Prior and Kerry Wood will be able to pitch in April. Wood has been sidelined by bursitis in his shoulder.
“I’m pretty sure Woody is going to be out there right out of the chute,” Prior said. “I don’t know what my plans are. Obviously a lot of it depends on how I progress. I’m optimistic and not worried about it.”
Prior concedes that his elbow inflammation may have resulted from throwing too many breaking balls this spring.
“It could have been a number of things,” he said. “We’re not 100 percent positive on what did it. If there’s anything I learned from last year it was just being patient, not worry about anything. My job is to get healthy. I can’t worry about what’s going on around me.”
Wood is slated to work a side session Tuesday and could pitch in a game later this week.
Cool hand
Carlos Zambrano, the probable Opening Day starter, says he won’t be fazed by manager Dusty Baker’s decision. Zambrano has not yielded an earned run in 15 innings this spring.
“I’m excited, and it would be a privilege to be the Opening Day starter,” he said. “I’ll do my job. If Kerry Wood was healthy, he would be the first starter. I would be like the emergency starter.”
No Rusch to be great
Pitchers Ryan Dempster, Glendon Rusch and Sergio Mitre will be in the spotlight early in the season because of the uncertain physical status of Wood and Prior. Dempster’s spring earned-run average soared to 10.80 after he yielded seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in Monday’s 12-5 loss to Kansas City. Rusch and Mitre also have struggled this spring. Baker expects better from them when the season starts.
“Certain guys tend to pitch better when you put that third deck up on the stadium,” Baker said. “I don’t worry about veteran guys too much. I don’t expect them to be in July form in March.”
Rusch, who was 6-2 with a 3.47 ERA last season, is 1-0 with a 13.09 ERA this spring.
“I’m just getting my pitch count up,” Rusch said. “If they need me to start, I’ll be ready, and if not, I’ll be easy to slide into the bullpen. I’m just trying to refine my pitches.”
