Tipping The Pitchers

When something is going to happen to players on our favorite team, the team management leaks it through the media. Today's leak appears in Paul Sullivan's column in the Trib.

Despite Mark Prior throwing in the bullpen yesterday, he will miss a minimum of one start. My guess is more because of what Paul pens:

(Glendon Rusch's ability to start) would give the Cubs the option of putting Prior on the 15-day disabled list to open the season. Prior threw another bullpen session Thursday, saying he still has some tenderness and inflammation in the elbow before adding his standard line: "I'm not worried about it."

The soonest we can see Mark is April 15th. I'm betting on May 1. The reason they use to delay him will be the same one they used to pull Kerry Wood yesterday:

"The facts are if he's healthy and pitching in September, it's all worked out, and that's what our goal is—to make sure he stays healthy all year and can concentrate on what he has to do now without too much interference and try to stay away from any negative thoughts that creep in." That was Larry Rothschild on Kerry Wood yesterday.

I expect to hear the same speech for Mark Prior in the next week or two.