Spring training scoreboard

	Benson

Pittsburgh Pirates: Kris Benson was perfect in his return to the pitcher's mound Wednesday.

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander pitched two perfect innings Wednesday for the Pirates' low Class A Hickory farm club against the Texas Rangers' low Class A Savannah.

It was the first game action for Benson since a minor-league exhibition game a year and five days ago.

"I had chilled bones," said Benson, who missed all last season while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery. "It had been a year and five days since I had last pitched in a game. I had the exact count of days in my head."

Benson had reconstructive surgery on May 22.

He'll begin the season with the Pirates' Triple-A Nashville farm team, and hopes to rejoin the Pirates in early May.

"It felt like everything was back to normal, back to the way I used to feel before I got hurt," Benson said. "I felt a little stiffness after my last simulated game (March 15) but I felt great today, really loose. It was a good outing, certainly something to build off of."

	Durazo

Arizona Diamondbacks: Erubiel Durazo, baseball's leading hitter this spring, injured his right wrist in the Diamondbacks' 6-4, 11-inning loss to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.

Durazo, batting .535 (23-for-43) with six home runs, was injured when he swung at a pitch from the Padres' Dave Lundquist and missed when leading off the sixth inning. He immediately called for the trainer and left the game.

He was taken to a hospital for X-rays, which provided no clues to the injury. Durazo planned to go to Phoenix on Thursday to be examined by specialist Dr. Don Sheridan.

Durazo underwent two operations on the wrist during the 2000 season, when he played in just 67 games. However, trainer Paul Lessard said the new injury was in a different part of the wrist and was unrelated to Durazo's problems of two seasons ago.

Last year, Durazo was bothered by a sore back and was sidelined for a time by a concussion.

His strong spring had led manager Bob Brenly to talk about the need to get him into the lineup more often, either in place of Mark Grace at first base or in right field. Durazo expressed a willingness to work in the outfield, but has spent little time there because of a sore shoulder.

	Larkin

Cincinnati Reds: Shortstop Barry Larkin was relieved Wednesday after a medical exam found inflammation, but no serious injury to his groin.

Larkin, who missed most of last season with torn groin muscles, is expected back in the Reds' lineup by this weekend and should be ready for Opening Day.

He came out of a game last Thursday when he felt discomfort in the groin and has been sidelined as a precaution. Dr. Timothy Kremchek examined him Wednesday and found no serious injury.

"It just scared me more than anything at first," Larkin said. "I didn't think I'd aggravated the groin, but I wasn't sure."

The 37-year-old team captain tore groin muscles during spring training last year and was limited to 45 games before he aggravated the injury.

While treating the groin, doctors detected a hernia that was unrelated. Larkin had season-ending surgery Aug. 24 to fix the hernia.

Doctors used mesh to strengthen and support the area around the hernia. Kremchek said the mesh is causing the inflammation and discomfort.

"Is it a major setback? No," Kremchek said. "If the season was going on right now, would be play? Yes."

Hamilton gets Opening Day nod: Manager Bob Boone announced after the Reds' 5-3 win over Texas that Jimmy Haynes had made the rotation and Joey Hamilton will be the Opening Day starter. Hamilton, 31, started the Padres' 1997 opener, but his career has been detoured by injuries the last three seasons.

Hamilton and Haynes came to camp on minor league contracts but will get $500,000 apiece in the majors.

Hamilton, Haynes and Elmer Dessens will be the veterans in the rotation, which will likely include Chris Reitsma and Jose Acevedo. Haynes, who went 8-17 for Milwaukee last season, chose the Reds because he knew they needed starters.

"It was a pretty good opportunity here," Haynes said. "They sounded like they really wanted me here."

	Williams

New York Yankees: Center fielder Bernie Williams is expected to miss at least several more days because of a strained left hamstring. It's the second time Williams has been sidelined by the problem this spring.

Williams had returned Tuesday night after missing four days. He originally hurt his hamstring running after a game March 14.

"It's the same hamstring," Yankees manager Joe Torre said Wednesday. "I don't think he re-injured it. It was still just there. We don't think it's serious."

Williams said he felt something while running the bases Tuesday. He took batting practice Wednesday.

"This is probably one of those things where I would wrap it up and play in the regular season," Williams said. "I just felt it a little. I don't want to blow it out."

Williams has also been bothered by a sore right calf and left shoulder this spring. He said both of those things are fine.

Outfielder Rondell White, who hasn't played his spring because of a strained left rib cage, could resume taking live batting practice on Friday.

White hasn't taken batting practice since Feb. 25. He hit off a tee and took flips in the batting cage Wednesday.

And pitcher Sterling Hitchcock underwent a CT scan and X-rays Wednesday for a lower back strain.

Results were not available before the Yankees played the Pittsburgh Pirates Wednesday night.

Hitchcock will miss at least one start. He felt the stiffness one day after his start last Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach.

"I woke up stiff, and I've been stiff since," Hitchcock said. "I'm really don't concerned. It will get better."

Milwaukee Brewers: Milwaukee pitcher Chad Fox had his right arm in a sling Wednesday, a day after X-rays revealed a problem behind the right elbow.

"We don't know if it is a bone chip or what," said Fox, who rebounded from three operations pitch for the Brewers last season and had been designated the closer this spring.

"I'll have a MRI tomorrow and then be evaluated," Fox said. "It doesn't hurt when I throw, but I noticed it after my last time out. Believe me, I know what my elbow feels like when I have something major. I don't think this is anything that severe, but we want to be cautious."

Fox has struggled somewhat this spring, with a 10.13 ERA, but said earlier this week that he was satisfied with how he was throwing.

He took over the closer role late last season after Curtis Leskanic struggled. Leskanic underwent shoulder surgery after the season and will start this season on the disabled list.

New York Mets: John Franco isn't likely to be active on Opening Day, according to a report in Wednesday's Newark Star Ledger.

"I never had him on the opening-day roster, so nothing has changed," manager Bobby Valentine told the newspaper. "I guess there's always a chance, but it doesn't look likely."

Franco threw 35 pitches of live batting practice Tuesday. He said he felt good. Valentine said it wasn't perfect.

"He felt it a little," Valentine said. "He's resigned to the fact he's going to need a little more time."

Florida Marlins: In 14 innings this spring, Josh Beckett has allowed nine hits and four runs, striking out 10 and walking five. He joined the Marlins last September and had a 2-2 record and a 1.50 ERA in four starts.

"He's a fun kid to be around," said Florida Manager Jeff Torborg, a former catcher. "He doesn't try to 'big league' anybody. He topped out at 93 (miles an hour) today and that's just perfect. I'd rather see him locate his pitches than try to overpower batters."