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Borbon suffers another setback

Braves left-handed reliever will have knee surgery Tuesday

Web posted March 17, 1997

 Atlanta Braves baseball

By Bill Zack
Morris News Service

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Pedro Borbon's spring took a turn for the worse Sunday when he returned to Atlanta to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a cartilage tear.

The surgery will be performed Tuesday and he will be sidelined for two or three weeks.

``I worked so hard this off-season and I think it's all the wear and tear,'' Borbon said.

The left-hander began feeling pain in his knee two weeks ago and the Braves decided he should get the problem taken care of now. Borbon began throwing from a mound for the first time since the surgery last Friday and by the time he is ready to return in June or July, he will be fully healthy.

``Why wait?'' Borbon said. ``I think this is going to help me. For the next few weeks I can concentrate on rehabbing my shoulder instead of throwing.''

Borbon wasn't the only medical news in camp Sunday. Left fielder Ryan Klesko was scratched from the lineup after straining his lower back during batting practice. He received a cortisone shot and is expected to miss two games.

``The spasms might go right away,'' manager Bobby Cox said. ``But they've never been this bad before.''

Klesko wasn't needed Sunday as the Braves exploded for 17 hits and scored their most runs this spring in a 17-3 pounding of the Mets. Chipper Jones had three hits, including a pair of two-out, two-run doubles, while David Justice hit his first home run of the spring.

Justice was given the day off Saturday to attend to personal business, a day off Cox apparently forgot about when he included Justice in that day's lineup.

Justice offered no other explanation for his absence, though he said he had requested the day off some time ago.

``Get the main lineup out there and it's pretty awesome,'' Cox said.

Trying to turn around the club's spring fortunes, Cox wore a pair of Reebok spikes for the first time for luck. It worked even though he didn't like the design on the sides of the spikes.