Apr 29, 2002 4 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Despite seemingly endless rain delays and two postponements so far this season, something remains on schedule for the Pittsburgh Pirates: Kris Benson’s recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery. Despite going 17 days between starts because of a brief problem with tendinitis in his right triceps, Benson made his third consecutive effective rehabilitation start for Triple-A Nashville on Saturday night.

Despite taking the loss in a 6-0 defeat to Memphis, Benson threw 75 pitches while allowing two hits and one run, striking out five and walking two in five innings.

In his three starts for Nashville, Benson is 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA, striking out 12 and walking seven, allowing five hits and three earned runs – one per start – in 12 2-3 innings.

“From all reports, it sounds like he did very well,” Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said Sunday.

Benson threw nearly as many pitches (75) as he did in his previous start, even though he was off more than two weeks while doctors determined that tenderness in his arm wasn’t related to his elbow operation.

He is expected to throw 85 pitches in his next scheduled start for Nashville on Thursday, then will go up to 95 pitches if he starts as expected for Altoona at Reading on May 7.

The Pirates want Benson to make that start in Double-A because Nashville will be on a West Coast trip, and they don’t want him making the long trip and back when Altoona will be playing in the state.

Benson will make at least those two starts before the Pirates re-evaluate his progress. However, if he hasn’t had any setbacks, there is a good chance he will rejoin them in mid-May.

“We want to see at least those (two) and then we’ll go from there,” Littlefield said.

Manager Lloyd McClendon hasn’t said who might leave the rotation when, and if, Benson returns, but Ron Villone (2-3, 6.04 ERA) would seem to be the logical candidate unless he develops more consistency.

INJURY UPDATE: Third baseman Aramis Ramirez’s seven-game suspension for charging the mound April 17 in Milwaukee ends Tuesday, but his sprained right ankle might keep him out another day or two after that.

Littlefield said the swelling went down considerably as Ramirez spent most of last week getting treatment.

“The swelling has gone down quite a bit, but sprained ankles can be a problem,” Littlefield said. “There’s a not a definite (date) yet.”

The injury occurred in the short fight that occurred after Ramirez went over Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets, throwing his helmet at him. Both players were fined, but only Ramirez was suspended.

Second baseman Pokey Reese (strained right hamstring) is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list next weekend in San Diego, and seems to be progressing on schedule.

“He seems to be coming along pretty well,” Littlefield said.

LONG TRIP: The Pittsburgh Pirates’ three-city, nine-game road trip to Colorado, San Diego and Arizona that begins Tuesday is their longest of the season and one of only two West Coast trips. They don’t play in PNC Park again until May 10.

No other Pirates’ road trip this season lasts more than a week.

The Pirates’ other West Coast trip, to Los Angeles and San Francisco in early August, will last a week.

The Pirates wrapped up a nine-game home stand Sunday, but it isn’t their longest in PNC Park this season; they have a 10-game homestand in September against the Reds, Cubs and Mets.

NOTES: While the Pirates are away, owner Kevin McClatchy will run in the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5 to raise money for cancer research. He already has more than $62,000 in pledges. It will be the first time the 39-year-old McClatchy has run a race longer than five miles. … OF Chad Hermansen was only 2-for-15 to start his rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Nashville. … RHP Salomon Torres, out of organized baseball for nearly five years before signing with the Pirates as a non-roster player, gave up five runs in three innings of relief in Nashville’s 6-0 loss Saturday to Memphis. Torres took over after Benson pitched five innings. … Counting Saturday night’s nearly hour-long wait and an eight-minute delay Sunday, the Pirates had eight rain delays totaling nearly 10 hours, and one rainout, while playing at home during three consecutive April weekends.