Prior to Start on Disabled List

Mark Prior will start the season on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right Achilles’ tendon.

The Chicago Cub star has been throwing off the mound in spring training, but has not pitched in an exhibition game because of the injury. He was originally scheduled to start the team’s third game of the season on April 8 at Cincinnati.

If Prior doesn’t pitch in any exhibition games, he would be eligible to come off the disabled list on April 10. The Cubs hope to have him for their first homestand April 12-19.

“We’re happy with the way he’s coming along,” General Manager Jim Hendry said Tuesday. “He’s progressing the way we had hoped. We’re going to always be cautious.”

Prior, 23, was 18-6 with a 2.43 earned-run average and 245 strikeouts in his first full big league season last year, finishing third in voting for the National League Cy Young Award.

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Mariano Rivera wanted to stay with the New York Yankees. That’s why it took little time to negotiate a $21-million, two-year contract extension through 2006.

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner looked on as the deal was announced and gave the pitcher a hug.

“I think I was born to be a Yankee,” Rivera said. “I want to thank Mr. George to get the opportunity to stay with the Yankees forever, have a chance to get into the Hall of Fame with the pinstripes. That’s big for me.”

Rivera, most valuable player of the 1999 World Series and last year’s American League championship series, has helped the Yankees win four Series titles and six AL pennants.

He was 5-2 with a career-low 1.66 ERA last season and 40 saves.

“He’s the best I’ve ever been around,” Manager Joe Torre said. “Not only the ability to pitch and perform under pressure, but the calm he puts over the clubhouse. He’s very important for us because he’s a special person.”

Rivera will make $8.89 million this season, the last of a four-year contract. His extension calls for $10.5-million salaries in 2005 and 2006. New York has a $10.5-million option for 2007 that would become guaranteed if Rivera has 60 games finished in 2006 or a combined 114 games finished in 2005 and 2006.

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San Francisco ace Jason Schmidt will sit out his second consecutive spring start Thursday, raising doubts whether he will be ready for the season opener at Houston.

The Giants are forming an alternate plan for their rotation if Schmidt’s sore throwing shoulder doesn’t improve in a hurry -- and that probably would mean starting left-hander Kirk Rueter against the Astros on April 5. Schmidt is well behind where he should be at this stage.

“He’s borderline right now only because there’s not enough time,” pitching coach Dave Righetti said.

And so is closer Robb Nen, whose workload was cut back because of discomfort in his shoulder.

A three-time All-Star who had 43 saves and a 2.20 ERA in 2002, Nen didn’t pitch last season.

Nen’s shoulder did not respond well to operations in November 2002 and last April 18. He also had right shoulder surgery May 7 to repair a torn tendon.

“We want to reassess everything and make sure we’re not going too fast,” trainer Stan Conte said.

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Baltimore Oriole left-hander Omar Daal experienced soreness in the back of his left shoulder while throwing and is scheduled to have an MRI exam today to determine the extent of the damage -- and whether surgery will be required.

Daal spent more than two months on the disabled list last season because of tendinitis in his rotator cuff. He returned in September, then rested for three months over the off-season.