ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Rays have shut down ace left-handed pitcher Scott Kazmir after an MRI showed he has an elbow strain.
Kazmir told team doctors he first felt pain while warming up for an intrasquad game Tuesday, but that he did not hear a pop.
"It was just scary. I just felt a little discomfort," he said on the Rays' Web site from training camp in St. Petersburg, Fla. "By the time I got to the doctor's office, I knew pretty much it wasn't going to be something too serious."
In 2007, the hard-throwing, 24-year-old went 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA and led the American League with 239 strikeouts in his 34 starts.
He likely will be Tampa Bay's Opening Day starting pitcher March 31 at Baltimore.
"I expect it would be two weeks, at least, until he is throwing to a hitter," Rays Executive Vice President Andrew Friedman told the St. Petersburg Times.
