Pirate Relief Ace Gott on Disabled List

Pirate relief ace Jim Gott, who set a club record with 34 saves last season, was placed on the 21-day disabled list today with an inflamed right elbow and will miss at least a month of the season.

After being examined today by team orthopedist Dr. Jack Failla, Gott--second in the National League in saves last year--was ordered not to throw for three weeks. He is not expected to return until early May.

Gott, knocked around in nearly all of his exhibition outings, returned to Pittsburgh from Montreal on Thursday after allowing Tim Wallach’s game-winning, eighth-inning RBI single in the Expos’ 3-2 victory. Gott was found afterward to have a strained ligament in his elbow.

The Pirates recalled right-hander Scott Medvin from their Buffalo farm club to replace Gott, and Jeff Robinson will assume Gott’s stopper role.

“I’ve always preached since I came here that I wanted to have two stoppers in the bullpen,” Manager Jim Leyland said. “We’ve used Robinson in that role. Hopefully, we’ve got him. Some guys think you should only have one stopper, but if you have one and you lose him, you’re in trouble.”

Leyland suspected that Gott was having physical problems when he allowed 25 hits, seven walks and 21 runs in 12.1 exhibition innings.