Sullivan still hampered by bad back

Kansas City's pricey reliever sits out Sunday's light session; Royals have 31 pitchers work out

? Reliever Scott Sullivan, who still is bothered by a bad back, was not in camp Sunday as the Kansas City Royals held their first spring-training workout for pitchers and catchers.

The right-hander went on the disabled list Aug. 29 and did not pitch the remainder of the season because of a strained lower back.

“He felt tightness in the left side of his back about 10 days ago doing fielding workouts,” Royals trainer Nick Swartz said Sunday.

Swartz said Sullivan was in Atlanta doing therapy and should arrive Thursday in Arizona and be available for on-the-field workouts Friday.

Swartz said how much Sullivan will be able to do once he joins the club was to be determined.

“He threw off the mound a couple of times since the soreness,” Swartz said.

Swartz said the tightness was related to Sullivan’s injury last year.

“It’s a setback,” Royals manager Tony Pena said.

Sullivan, who will be the fifth-highest-paid Royal this year with a $2.6 million salary, went 3-4 with a 4.77 earned-run average in 41 relief appearances in 2004, his first year with Kansas City.

Right-hander Runelvys Hernandez, who missed all of last season after having elbow surgery, was in camp, but did not work out. Hernandez arrived late after his wife needed surgery in Kansas City. She was released from the hospital Thursday.

“She’s doing much better,” Hernandez said. “I’ll be ready to go tomorrow (today).”

Hernandez has not pitched since Aug. 16, 2003, and had reconstructive elbow surgery Sept. 5, 2003.

“One year, that is far away,” Hernandez said. “I’m ready now to help the team.”

The Royals had 31 pitchers workout in low 60-degree weather with the sun peaking through the clouds. Rain was in the forecast, but held off until the Royals completed about a 21/2 hour workout after Pena held a meeting with the players in the clubhouse.

Pena said he warned the pitchers, especially the young ones, not to throw too hard too soon and possibly hurt their arms.

“I did not want them trying to impress me the first day,” Pena said. “I don’t want anybody to break down early.”

Pena said he was “very impressed” with the conditioning of the players for the first day.

“Everybody was fresh,” he said.

Zack Greinke, who turned 21 in October and won eight games as a rookie last season, was the youngest pitcher in camp, while Kevin Appier, who is 37 and in his 18th spring training, was the oldest.

“This year we have a lot of great arms in camp, more than last year and the year before,” Pena said. “There’s a lot to choose from.”

Jose Lima, a free-agent signee who went 13-5 for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, was among several who threw a 40-pitch bullpen session.

“Just fastballs and change-ups,” Lima said. “I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t playing. It’s still great to go outside and wear a uniform, doing what I like to do, especially coming back to Kansas City.”

The Royals signed Lima out of an independent league in June 2003, and he went 8-3 for them in 14 starts.

The Royals, who lost an American League-worst 104 games last year, will hold their first full-squad practice Friday.