CLEVELAND — Francisco Liriano and the Minnesota Twins are somewhat relieved, yet mostly mystified over the rookie left-hander's latest test results.
"The MRI came back exactly the same as the previous one," Twins general manager Gerry Ryan said Thursday. "He has a ligament strain, but there is no structural damage. That's the good news.
"Now we have to find out why he's having pain. We're not going to mess around with his future."
Ryan said the Twins will take an ultraconservative approach with Liriano, who made only 28 pitches Wednesday against Oakland in his first start in more than a month — then walked off the mound, saying he heard a pop in his elbow.
Liriano, 12-3 with a 2.19 ERA, is done for the season, even if the Twins make the playoffs. Minnesota entered play Thursday leading the Chicago White Sox by 1 1/2 games in the AL wild-card race and trailing first-place Detroit by 1 1/2 in the AL Central.
"This had everybody a little flustered for a day, but we've been winning without him for a month," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've just got to go out and do the job."
Ryan said no surgery is planned but expressed caution that the prognosis could change.
"There's a lot of mystery as to why this happened in the first place. We want the doctors to figure out what the problem is and correct it."
WANG SCRATCHED: Yankees righty Chien-Ming Wang was scratched from Thursday night's start because of wet weather, and rookie Jeff Karstens was picked to pitch against Tampa Bay. Wang is 17-5 with a 3.60 ERA and one victory behind Minnesota's Johan Santana for the major-league lead. Wang will instead start Friday night when the AL East leaders open a four-game series at home against Boston.
BENSON WANTS TO RETURN:Kris Benson intends to talk to the Baltimore Orioles' front office during the offseason before making a decision on returning to the team in 2007. Benson was traded from the New York Mets in January. Because he has at least five years of major league experience and was dealt in the middle of a multiyear pact, he has the right to request a trade during the coming offseason. The right-hander signed a three-year, $22.5 million contract with New York before the 2005 season. The deal also included a $7.5 million club option for 2008. "As far as my future with the team, right now I'm returning," Benson said Thursday. "As far as any other turn of events, that's just going to have to wait until the offseason."
SHOWALTER APPEARS SAFE: Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter's job appears safe despite another disappointing season that will almost certainly end without a playoff berth. Before the Rangers began their final homestand of the season Thursday night, owner Tom Hicks and general manager Jon Daniels both indicated there wouldn't be a managerial change. Showalter is wrapping up his fourth season, a span during which Texas hasn't finished better than third in the AL West. The Rangers haven't been to the playoffs since 1999. Showalter is 313-320 in Texas, where he has three seasons left on his contract.