Orioles’ Erickson Out 6-8 Weeks

The Baltimore Orioles had their first big loss of the season before they even played their first exhibition game. Starter Scott Erickson will be out 6-8 weeks because of bone chips in his right elbow.

“Hopefully, this won’t affect the rest of the starters too much,” ace Mike Mussina said. “We can’t pitch on his day. We can only do what we can as individuals. We can’t do any more than what our jobs are.”

Erickson will have surgery Friday and return to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during the weekend. He will remain inactive for 7-10 days to allow swelling to subside before beginning his rehabilitation.

“Is it good news? Definitely, yes,” said Syd Thrift, the Orioles’ vice president of baseball operations. “I suspected it had something to do with particles. Sometimes they get lodged and it locks the elbow.”

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Darryl Strawberry, suspended Monday for one year for testing positive for cocaine, checked into a drug rehab center Wednesday for the third time in 10 years.

“My goal is to take control of my drug addiction once and for all, and I believe this step is required in order to do so,” Strawberry said in a statement.

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The Atlanta Braves said National League most valuable player Chipper Jones has a bone chip in his right elbow.

Atlanta hopes Jones can wait until after the season to have it removed. The injury, which was caused by strain from the repetition of throwing, is fairly common, team orthopedist Joe Chandler said.

Jones said he has little pain from the injury--except at night--and is treating it with anti-inflammatory drugs.

“It hasn’t bothered me that much,” he said. “It just bothers me when I get in front swinging left-handed.”

Jones may need to rest more than usual, so Bobby Bonilla may be called on to help.

“I don’t like taking days off,” said Jones, who played in a career-high 160 games last season, but “I wouldn’t mind a couple of innings here and there.”

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Pittsburgh catcher Jason Kendall is set to return from his gruesome ankle injury.

Kendall, who hasn’t played since severely dislocating his ankle last July 4, will make his spring debut in an exhibition game Saturday against the New York Yankees.

Kendall has reported no problems so far this spring. He is running normally, and the Pirates have taken no special precautions with him.

“The ankle’s fine,” said Kendall, who had an extensive off-season rehabilitation program. “It’s probably stronger than it was before.”

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Pitcher Orlando Hernandez resumed workouts with the Yankees.

Hernandez, who missed a throwing session Saturday because of back stiffness, showed no ill effects after throwing 78 pitches Wednesday.

“He was very good today,” pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said. “It was a hard workout.”

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Cleveland Manager Charlie Manuel was resting comfortably at Winter Haven Hospital after having eight inches of his colon removed Monday night. The coaching staff and some players planned to visit Manuel Wednesday night to discuss what went on at camp during the Indians’ intrasquad game. . . . The Florida Marlins gave General Manager Dave Dombrowski the additional title of president, which means he’ll oversee the business side of the team’s operations. Dombrowski, 43, said he’ll cut back on his baseball duties by traveling less with the team and delegating some work he does in trade negotiations to assistant general manager Dave Littlefield and others.