Jays cautiously optimistic about Burnett

DUNEDIN, Fla. --A.J. Burnett's elbow problems aren't as serious as the Blue Jays initially feared, and the Toronto pitcher could be back on the mound in about a week.

Burnett left Toronto's 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday after throwing only one pitch in the second inning but an MRI showed it was just scar tissue breaking away in his right elbow.

Burnett had Tommy John surgery three years ago.

"We got good news," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Sunday. "The X-rays came back good, it's probably just a little scar tissue. It's big, big news."

As far as any adjustment in the rotation with opening day just over two weeks away Gibbons said, "When he is ready we will kind of play it by ear. When he is ready, he is ready and if we need to make adjustments we will."

Burnett, who was 12-12 with a 3.44 ERA with the Marlins in 2005, was relieved that it wasn't as serious as it first appeared.

"Obviously any setback is not good but when the good news came that it was scar tissue not anything with the ligaments so it was good news and I am relieved," Burnett said. "It was scary, when you break the scar tissue up it feels like you are doing the same thing all over again."

Burnett knew things weren't just right in the first inning.

"It was mainly the pitch in the second, I felt a little different, no pain, nothing like that as far as the first inning," Burnett said. "But I wasn't loose. You know, live arm, the same giddy up that I have had in the past. I was kind of worrying about that and as soon as I threw that pitch I knew what it was."

Burnett will have to wait up to five days before returning to the mound because of the dye that was used during the MRI.

As to the wait, the right-hander said, "Just the five days as of right now and see how I feel."