MAINE STRUGGLES IN TWO INNINGS (8:40 p.m. ET)
John Maine's arm feels fine. It's everything else that seems out of sync. Still trying to polish his delivery following offseason shoulder surgery, Maine walked his first three batters Thursday and labored through two scoreless innings of the Mets' 3-2 comeback victory over Italy's entry in the World Baseball Classic.
"I just don't feel good out there," Maine said. "I don't feel comfortable. I am trying to do something different mechanically every pitch and nothing is working, and I just feel terrible out there."
Maine had surgery Sept. 30 to shave a bone spur in his right shoulder. He said his struggles this spring are all about mechanics and overthinking -- his arm feels fine.
"I don't have any pain, so I don't think it's that," Maine said. "I feel like I am trying too hard. I'm trying to do more than I should be doing right now, and whether that's a good thing or not, I don't know."
In his previous outing Sunday, Maine gave up a home run for his only hit but also walked two and threw a wild pitch.
"I just didn't think it would take that long. I thought after a few bullpens, a few games down here, I'd start feeling more comfortable, but that hasn't been the case yet," he said.
MCCARTHY TO PITCH FOR RANGERS (5:15 p.m. ET)
Right-hander Brandon McCarthy will pitch against Kansas City on Friday after all, in a "B" game on a back field instead of the regular spring training game.
McCarthy played long toss and threw about 15 pitches off a mound Thursday without any problems, a day after the team said he was being scratched from his second exhibition start because of stiffness in his right shoulder. McCarthy, who has been on the disabled list three times in two seasons with Texas, said he was ready to pitch Friday.
"It loosened up a ton and it felt good enough to go," he said. "Unless there's any unforeseen surprise or something, I'm going to be out there. That's my spot, my day, let's do it."
McCarthy felt tightness during a bullpen session Monday, two days after he threw two innings in his only spring start. Not long after he told team trainers about the problem Wednesday morning, the Rangers announced he wouldn't pitch as scheduled.
"It got out of hand a little too fast. I'm just battling through early stuff, I think," McCarthy said. "This felt different. ... This is something that gave me a little cause of concern, but it was something I hadn't felt before, so I didn't know what to do with it."
JOBA: NO IDEA ABOUT A-ROD (3:23 p.m. ET)
Joba Chamberlain said Thursday he doesn't know anything about teammate Alex Rodriguez having surgery on his hip.
"I have no idea," Chamberlain said. "I've got nothing."
Asked whether it would be a blow to lose Rodriguez for 10 weeks, he replied: "Obviously. But I don't know anything about it. So I really can't say anything."
Chamberlain walked four of the five batters he faced and failed to get an out in the first inning of the Yankees' 6-0 loss to Canada's World Baseball Classic team. Chamberlain also allowed a single and was lifted after walking his final three hitters. He wound up being charged with five runs in his second shaky start this spring.
"Best I've felt all year, physically," he said of the outing. "Just part of the process."
He said his control issues were "just mechanical" and said he wasn't worried by his 63.00 spring ERA -- "not at all."
-- Jayson Stark, ESPN.com
ROCKIES' BUCHHOLZ OUT AT LEAST A MONTH (3:15 p.m. ET)
Primary set-up pitcher Taylor Buchholz will miss at least a month with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.
On Wednesday the right-hander had an MRI, which revealed that the sprain in his elbow will require rehab before he can begin throwing again. The team says no surgery is scheduled.
Buchholz says he experienced unusual pain while throwing in the bullpen before his only spring training appearance on Feb. 26 against the White Sox. He wound up throwing one inning, allowing no runs and three hits against five batters. The Rockies had him rest a couple days before scheduling the MRI.
Buchholz has never had an elbow injury before. He'll undergo ice and heat and massage treatments before starting strengthening exercises.
Buchholz had a 2.17 ERA last year, the sixth-lowest in the National League.
NATS' HILL SCRATCHED FROM START (1:59 p.m. ET)
Shawn Hill was scratched from his scheduled start against the Tigers on Thursday because of right forearm tightness. The right-hander was to be examined Friday by Dr. James Andrews, Nationals manager Manny Acta said.
"Obviously, I feel bad for the kid because he's been going through it for a while now," Acta said.
Hill made two trips to the disabled list last year before season-ending elbow surgery Sept. 5. Hill was 1-5 with a 5.83 ERA in 12 starts last year. Left-hander Gustavo Chacin replaced Hill against the Tigers.
In his first spring training start, on Feb. 27 against Houston, Hill pitched one scoreless inning. He had pointed to his second start as a key benchmark in his recovery.
Right shoulder problems and a compressed nerve in his right forearm limited Hill to 16 starts in 2007. He missed the 2005 season following ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow and made six starts in 2006.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
