BALTIMORE -- Orioles pitcher Kris Benson has a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder and will probably miss the entire 2007 season.
Baltimore moved quickly to fill his spot in the starting rotation, agreeing Monday with free agent right-hander Steve Trachsel on a $3.1 million, one-year contract, according to a baseball official who spoke on condition of annonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized. The contract, which is pending a physical, includes a $3 million salary this year and a 2008 club option with a $100,000 buyout.
The 36-year-old Trachsel was 15-8 with a 4.97 ERA for the New York Mets last season and is 134-143 with a 4.28 ERA over 14 major league seasons. Trachsel's agreement was first reported by The (Baltimore) Sun.
Benson had an MRI exam last week that revealed a partial tear in his rotator cuff, the pitcher's agent, Gregg Clifton, said Monday. The injury will require surgery, but the procedure has not yet been scheduled.
"We'd like to get it done as soon as possible so we can start the recovery process," Clifton said.
After coming to Baltimore in a January 2006 trade with the Mets, Benson went 11-12 with a 4.82 ERA in 30 starts. This season he was supposed to provide experience in a young starting rotation that includes Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen.
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