Pirates happy with Benson’s latest minor league start
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates won’t rush starter Kris Benson back to the majors despite his latest effective start in the minor leagues. Benson, who missed last season for reconstructive elbow surgery, struck out 10 in 4 2-3 innings Wednesday for Triple-A Nashville, allowing one run and one hit, a first-inning homer.
The right-hander threw 84 pitches, 35 more than he did during a rehabilitation start Friday.
However, the Pirates plan for Benson to make at least three more rehabilitation starts before they reassess his progress. McClendon estimates he still might be a month away from returning to the Pirates’ rotation.
“We’re happy where he is at this point, and we hope he has no setbacks,” Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. “But we’re not taking any chances with this guy. We’ve got to make sure Kris Benson is healthy and ready to go before he comes back.”
Benson was 11-14 with a 4.07 ERA in 1999 and 10-12 with a 3.85 ERA in 2000 and was expected to be the Pirates’ ace last year before injuring his elbow.