Associated Press 18y

Burgos to close in injured MacDougal's absence

MLB, Kansas City Royals

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Kansas City Royals closer Mike MacDougal
has a strain in his upper right arm and is expected to be sidelined for about a month.

width=65> height=90 align=right alt="Mike MacDougal">
MacDougal

MacDougal, who was a 2003 All-Star selection, led the team with
21 saves in 25 opportunities last season.

"He has injured a major muscle that comes off the back under
the shoulder blade and attaches to the upper arm bone," Royals
trainer Nick Swartz said Sunday. "He injured it where the tendon
is attached to the upper arm bone is.

"Right now I'm looking at a minimum of four weeks, at the
two-week mark we'll repeat his MRI and make another assessment."

Swartz said MacDougal "felt it on one particular pitch" in his
previous outing, which was on Wednesday against the Seattle
Mariners. MacDougal struck out two in a perfect inning against the
Mariners.

Manager Buddy Bell said he would use 21-year-old right-hander
Ambiorix Burgos as the closer in MacDougal's absence. Burgos had
two saves as a rookie last season.

"It's not good news, but we have to deal with it," Bell said.

MacDougal's injury is just the latest bad news for Kansas City,
which lost a franchise-record 106 games last season. Right-hander
Zack Greinke left camp for personal reasons on Feb. 26 and has not
returned, and left-hander Mark Redman underwent knee surgery on
March 6, leaving two vacancies in the rotation.

Designated hitter Mike Sweeney, who led the team with a .300
average and 21 home runs last season, has not played since March 9
because of a bone bruise in his left leg. Sweeney said he would
test his leg Wednesday or Thursday, and if all goes well he could
play by the weekend.

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