Pirates’ Schmidt Sees Heart Specialist

Pittsburgh right-hander Jason Schmidt has an appointment with a heart specialist after a routine physical examination revealed an irregular heartbeat.

Schmidt, who figured to start either the Pirate opener or the second game of the season, was scratched from his scheduled exhibition start against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Fla.

During a routine exam and subsequent tests, doctors determined Schmidt’s heart sometimes stops momentarily while he is at rest, but not when he is exercising.

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Denise Sanders, the wife of a Toronto Blue Jay outfielder Anthony Sanders, was killed when she lost control on a ski run and slammed into a tree, her family said. Sanders, 22, of Tucson was killed Saturday at the Sunrise resort, said her father-in-law, Benjie Sanders.