Shocking news: Prior and Wood likely start on DL

Mark Prior might not be able to avoid the DL as opening day approaches. The 26-year-old was 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA last year when his season was cut short by a strained right shoulder. He is 0-1 with an 18.90 ERA in two spring training appearances, allowing seven runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and no walks. "How many innings has he pitched?" manager Lou Piniella asked Monday. "You need 25 or so innings. In fairness to the person, is he going to be ready?" Prior is scheduled to start Thursday against Seattle in Peoria and Piniella hopes he can pitch three or four innings.

Prior's velocity has been in the mid-80s this spring. That's an awful sign for 2007. He's not done as potential ace down the road, but his prospects for this year just look terrible right now. His arm just still is not right.

Kerry Wood, coming back from a torn right rotator cuff, threw 25 pitches off a mound Tuesday at the Cubs' spring-training complex in Mesa. On March 11, he strained his right triceps while pitching against Milwaukee, and it's unclear whether he will be ready for the start of the season. "Until we get him back out there and get him on a schedule, you just don't know," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "Hopefully he could, but it has to work for the team and it has to be in his best interests." If Wood feels good Wednesday, he could pitch Thursday or Friday. "I was hoping this spring we would get back-to-back appearances from him, pitching him maybe two innings tops just to see what his bounce-back period would be, and we'd get a feel for it," Piniella said. "I just don't see it. We're running out of time as far as that's concerned."

The 29-year-old Wood was just 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA last year and has a 12.00 ERA in three spring training appearances. If he's on the active roster, it most likely would be as a one-inning reliever. Wood, who pitched March 5, 8 and 11, has struck out four and walked one in three innings. Wood has been clocked at 95-96 mph. "The deeper you get into spring, the less likely it becomes," Rothschild said of Wood's opening-day availability. "We'll get him back out there and see where he is and make those decisions when it's appropriate." Wood is nothing more than a Fantasy middle reliever to start the season, but he's an intriguing one if he stays healthy. He could even position himself to be the closer by the end of the year.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com