Burnett’s Elbow Injury Not Considered Serious

A.J. Burnett and the Toronto Blue Jays were relieved Saturday after tests showed no damage to the pitcher’s ailing elbow.

Burnett left Toronto’s 8-4 exhibition loss to the Boston Red Sox at Dunedin, Fla., after throwing only one pitch in the second inning, and the Blue Jays were concerned they might have lost one of their expensive new pitchers.

An MRI, however, showed no serious problems for the pitcher. Burnett will probably just have to wait at least five days before throwing again.

The right-hander signed a $55 million, five-year contract with the Blue Jays during the off-season after going 12-12 with a 3.44 ERA for the Florida Marlins.

Burnett was a key piece of Toronto’s off-season overhaul. The Blue Jays also added closer B.J. Ryan, and traded for slugger Troy Glaus and first baseman Lyle Overbay.

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Philadelphia Phillie third baseman David Bell is out indefinitely because of back spasms and might sit out the start of the season.

The 33-year-old hasn’t played in a Grapefruit League game this spring. He called off plans to play in a minor league exhibition game Saturday.

He played four innings in a minor league exhibition game Thursday. But Ruben Amaro Jr., the Phillies’ assistant general manager, said Bell experienced back spasms.

The setback makes it unlikely Bell will play in the April 3 opener against St. Louis.

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Right fielder Gary Sheffield of the New York Yankees said that uncertainty over his future -- he’s entering the final year of a $39-million, three-year contract -- is a constant weight on his mind.

“I’m still not comfortable. The thing is, I’m not allowed to be comfortable,” he said before the Yankees played the Marlins in an exhibition game in Jupiter, Fla. “And that’s the reality of my situation. I always have to play with my back against the wall. Just one more year of that, and then I don’t have to do it no more.”