pmeares17
05-15-2002, 03:46 PM
RHP Kris Benson is back in the Pirates' rotation, which means his rehab from surgery a year ago officially is over. "There are no more 'next steps,' " Manager Lloyd McClendon said yesterday. "Kris Benson has been dubbed a healthy pitcher, and he'll be treated as such." Benson had a rough return from his reconstructive elbow surgery Monday night. In 3 2/3 innings, he allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs in an 11-0 loss to Arizona. "Early inconsistency is what I'd call it," Diamondbacks Manager Bob Brenly said. "His velocity was good. The breaking balls he did get over the plate were good. But he didn't have much command and a cagey group of veteran hitters like mine knew that." And those cagey Diamondbacks "sat" on Benson's fastball and nailed it consistently. "He didn't have his command," 1B Mark Grace said. "His velocity was good. His stuff was good. He just put too many balls over the middle of the plate. His defense was below average, and that compounded it." Grace paused. "This kid was special before his injury. And I saw a few of the pitches that I saw a couple years ago."