Kotsay could be out 3 months

Oakland Athletics center fielder Mark Kotsay could be out up to three months after arthroscopic surgery on his back today.

The procedure will repair a herniated disk that has bothered Kotsay, 31, for the past two seasons.

“I’m being given the opportunity to have a procedure the doctor feels good about, to get me to a healthy state as opposed to battling to stay on the field like I did the last two seasons,” Kotsay said.

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Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kris Benson is experiencing increased soreness in his right shoulder, a development that means he may need surgery on his torn rotator cuff.

Working on the advice of two doctors, Benson is trying to rehabilitate the injury.

If his bid is unsuccessful, the operation would force him to miss this season.

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New York Mets right-hander Pedro Martinez threw for the first time since rotator cuff surgery last October, throwing for about 10 minutes in Port Lucie, Fla. He is not expected back until the second half of the season.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Ryan Klesko will be out a week because of a strained muscle in his left side.

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Bob Feller, at 88 the second-oldest living member of the Hall of Fame, was unhurt in a minor car accident at the Cleveland Indians’ spring training complex in Winter Haven, Fla.

Nilesh Shah, physician for the Indians’ Class A team, backed his car out of its parking spot and into Feller’s car.