La Russa: Top 4 starters rank with the best

Baseball Betting Lines

02/19/2010 -

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -St. Louis manager Tony La Russa will stack up his top four starters against those of any team in the major leagues. And he's not too worried about the Cardinals' fifth spot.

Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright finished 2-3 in last year's National League Cy Young voting. Kyle Lohse is one year removed from a 15-win season and healthy again, and Brad Penny apparently is back on his game.

For the fifth spot, the Cardinals have three viable candidates.

Left-hander Rich Hill is coming off shoulder surgery but was an 11-game winner with the Cubs in 2007. Fellow lefty Jaime Garcia is considered one of the franchise's top pitching prospects, although he's also coming off surgery. And right-hander Kyle McClellan has been an effective setup man the last two seasons.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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