PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Bates Cautious With Thigh Injury

Safety Patrick Bates, the Raiders’ No. 1 pick last year, sat out Thursday’s afternoon practice because of a thigh muscle injury, which forced him to miss the final three games last season. Coach Art Shell says the injury is not serious.

Bates is expected to get more playing time this season and Shell said, “I don’t think missing a day to rest here and there will hurt his progress because he’s been in camp since (July 10).”

Defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, cornerback Torin Dorn and linebacker Brian Jones also did not practice because of nagging injuries and are questionable for Saturday’s exhibition game at Pittsburgh.

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It’s common for teams to downplay the importance of winning exhibitions but the Raider regular-season success often matches their pre-September record.

Since their first season in 1960, the Raiders have finished exhibition play with only one loss six times and have either won the Super Bowl or reached the AFC championship game in five of the six following regular seasons.

With a 2-0 record going into the Steeler game, the Raiders will have a chance to win their first three exhibitions for the first time since 1976. They ended up with a 13-1 regular-season record that year and went on to defeat Minnesota in Super Bowl XI.

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The Raiders will leave today for Pittsburgh after a morning workout at their Oxnard training camp site. They will return to Oxnard from Pittsburgh, then return to their El Segundo headquarters next Thursday.