Cubs place Prior, Wood on 15-day DL

Mark Prior and Kerry Wood were placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, meaning the Chicago Cubs will start the season without both star right-handers.

Neither move came as a surprise, as both have been rehabbing from injuries. The moves were retroactive to March 27.

"We knew neither one of them would be ready for opening day," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "Mark has been throwing again and has had no discomfort. Woody has been very, very good."

Prior, 25, has a strained subscapularis muscle in the right shoulder. The muscle is part of the rotator-cuff group of muscles.

Earlier this month, Wood underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a minor cartilage tear. He began throwing shortly after that. He threw 60 pitches from a bullpen mound earlier this week

Prior has not pitched this spring. The Cubs had put him on a slower-paced throwing program in an effort to avoid the elbow problems that plagued him the previous two springs.

Prior last threw from a bullpen mound March 12. Two days later, he reported discomfort in the shoulder. An MRI arthrogram revealed the strain.

The Cubs' doctors prescribed a rest period of 7-10 days for Prior, who began throwing lightly this week. The team has set no timetable for his return.

Last season, Prior went 11-7 with a 3.67 ERA in 27 starts. He has a lifetime record of 41-23 with an ERA of 3.24.

Wood, 28, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last Aug. 31, after he went 3-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 21 games, 10 of them starts. He is 70-54 with a 3.67 ERA and 1,286 strikeouts in 1,109 innings pitched and was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1998.
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