PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Kris Benson was scratched from his rehab start for the Philadelphia Phillies’ Single-A affiliate Monday night because of tightness and soreness in his right biceps.
Benson is trying to return from rotator cuff surgery on his throwing shoulder. The 33-year-old right-hander signed a one-year contract with the Phillies in February, joining his fourth team in five years.
“I don’t think it’s anything like what it was before, but it’s a concern for him not to pitch,” assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said before the Phillies opened a four-game series against the Reds. “He didn’t feel comfortable pitching. He tested it this morning and didn’t feel comfortable posting up.
“We’re concerned about it. We obviously don’t like it. We’d like to be able to have him be able to pitch consistently and be healthy. We’ll stay with him for now and see how he progresses. We need to get him on the mound and evaluate him and see if he’s going to be able to help us in the big leagues.”
Benson last pitched in the majors in 2006 for the Orioles. He threw 75 pitches in an extended spring training game last Tuesday in Clearwater, Fla. The team was hoping he’d be ready later this month or July. Now those plans are on hold.
“We don’t know. We’re not sure,” Amaro said. “It depends on how he feels in the next couple of days.”
Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 amateur draft, Benson’s once-promising career has been derailed by injuries.
He missed two entire seasons, half of another one and has spent time on the disabled list in six of his first nine years in the big leagues. Benson has a losing career record, going 68-73 with a 4.34 ERA in 195 starts for the Pirates, New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles.
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