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That's OK, J.P. Ricciardi. You can breathe again.

A.J. Burnett opens the season on the 15-day disabled list, but it appears the Toronto Blue Jays' $55-million .500 pitcher will have to miss only the first two starts of the season. This might not be the greatest way for a free agent to start a new chapter in his career, but it sure as heck beats a second Tommy John surgery and at least two seasons of heartache.

"I was pretty scared,'' Burnett said.

Imagine how Ricciardi must have felt.

The signing of Burnett qualified as a huge risk -- even though the powerful, 29-year-old righthander was coming off a season in which he was completely healthy. He managed 32 starts for the Florida Marlins last season and could have made a couple more if Jack McKeon hadn't sent him home early after he criticized the manager and his coaching staff for not working harder with young players.

Ricciardi felt he needed to upgrade his pitching staff behind ace Roy Halladay and spent heavily in an attempt to do, giving Burnett and closer B.J. Ryan contracts worth $102 million combined. He went far beyond the highest offers elsewhere because he understood that attractive free agents won't come to Canada unless they're overwhelmed with money. But pitchers never come with guarantees.

Facing Boston on March 18, Burnett felt agonizing pain in his right elbow. He immediately flashed back to 2003, when he was forced to miss the Marlins' World Series run because he had torn a ligament in his elbow, which required major reconstructive surgery. Burnett and Ricciardi waited helplessly until an MRI of the elbow revealed no new damage. Doctors told him the pain came from scar tissue that had been built up after the surgery.

"When you break up scar tissue, it feels like you're doing the same thing all over again to your ligaments,'' Burnett said. "The pain, it's almost identical."

In the Blue Jays' final game of the spring, on Saturday against their Triple-A affiliate, Burnett was able to work two solid innings. He remained in Dunedin, Fla., when the team broke camp and will make at least two starts in controlled conditions in the extended spring program before possibly joining the rotation April 16 in Chicago.

"We want to err on the side of caution, give him enough time to build his arm up and be ready to go," Ricciardi said. "We want to make sure he is comfortable, that when we run him out there the bullets are real.''

Burnett is hardly the only big name player to start the season on the disabled list. Among the others:

	Wood

Maybe the Cubs signed Miller because they wanted to make the most of their recent experience rehabbing Wood and Prior after injuries. In any case, these three right-handers -- a combined 46-30 in 2003 and only 39-35 in the two seasons since then -- are all recovering from shoulder injuries.

The timetable for their returns varies from late-April (Wood) to who knows when (Prior), but the Cubs are cautiously optimistic that they could add all three to a rotation headed by Carlos Zambrano and Greg Maddux before Memorial Day. In the meantime, Dusty Baker will try to get by with Glendon Rusch, rookie lefty Sean Marshall and Jerome Williams.

Wood, who had shoulder surgery on Aug. 31 and a piece of arthroscopic knee surgery this spring, faced hitters Friday and has drawn positive reviews from Baker and pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Miller, recovering from shoulder surgery last October after being limited to 16 starts for Boston, appears only about two weeks behind Wood. Prior, running behind all spring, was diagnosed with a strained shoulder in mid-March and hasn't faced hitters since last season. Bill Murray, the Cubs' biggest fan, must feel like it's Groundhog Day.

	Wells

At 42, Wells has been talking about retirement for at least five years. But he continues to get his body patched up, one part at a time, so that he can return to the mound. He spent this spring working his way back from surgery on his right knee and barely missed getting on the 25-man roster for Opening Day.

The Red Sox hope Wells can join Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett in the rotation as early as April 12, after testing himself out April 7 for Triple-A Pawtucket. "I'm not babying it,'' Wells said of the knee. "Do I wish it felt better? Yeah. Do I think I'm good enough on the mound. I'm not holding back.''

	Klesko

With Klesko already unavailable because of lingering problems with his left shoulder, the Padres couldn't afford more injuries. They got one Friday when Cameron strained a muscle in his left side during batting practice.

It's unknown how long either will be out, but Klesko hopes to return as early as April 10. "We don't want to ride a roller-coaster where it feels good for five days and then it feels bad for five days," Klesko said.

Injuries are part of the Klesko experience. He hasn't played 150 games in a season since 1996 and didn't make 140 in the last three seasons.

	Greinke

If this is a minor blip on the baseball map, it's only because this is the Royals. Imagine if the Yankees had lost Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Randy Johnson and Mariano Rivera in the same spring training.

The run of pitching casualties in Kansas City's camp is as disheartening as anything that happened this spring. Redman (knee surgery) and MacDougal (strained muscle under the right shoulder) were lost for traditional reasons. Hernanadez was pushed back to the No. 5 starter's spot -- and given two punishment starts in Triple-A -- because he reported to camp seriously overweight, and Greinke needed time to get himself together off the field.

He was supposed to be the ace of the staff by now but will be at home in Florida, receiving counseling, when the team opens the season. The fact he was placed on the 60-day disabled list says the team is not expecting him back soon.

	Eaton

Texas hasn't had much luck with pitchers in recent years, either. Buck Showalter had barely set his five-man rotation last Wednesday when his No. 2 starter felt a tendon in his right middle finger "pop'' as he threw a curveball.

Eaton needs surgery and probably will miss the first half of the season. Rookie GM Jon Daniels responded with two trades in 24 hours, adding pitchers Robinson Tejada from Philadelphia and John Koronka from the Cubs.

	Wells

Initially, Wells was expected to miss most, and possibly all, of the season after having surgery to clear a blocked artery. He now says he hopes to get back before the All-Star break.

It was an unusual procedure for a baseball player, so the timetable for return is relatively unclear. He hopes to resume throwing soon, then will have to regain his strength to pitch.

In the meantime the Pirates are using a rotation in which the top four starters (left-handers Oliver Perez, Zach Duke and Paul Maholm, and right-hander Ian Snell) have combined for only 39 major-league wins.

	Benitez

You wouldn't want to be Brian Sabean, who gave Benitez a three-year, $21.5-million contract before the 2005 season. He was on the disabled list with hamstring problems for much of last season and opens this year back on the DL, this time battling a bad left knee that contributed to a 23.48 ERA in the spring.

"Right now, I can't do my job like this," said Benitez, who was diagnosed with bursitis after pitching last Saturday. "When I come in the game, I've got to have my command. Right now, no. I don't have my stuff. I need a couple of weeks. …My windup and mechanics are terrible."

While Benitez tries to get his act together, newcomer Tim Worrell probably will get the bulk of the save opportunities.

	Sheets

Another high-salaried absentee on Opening Day, Sheets is running behind because of a strained muscle in his shoulder. He pitched in a minor-league game Saturday and said he felt fine, but GM Doug Melvin probably is going to hold his breath until he sees Sheets winning games in Milwaukee.

Sheets had been relentlessly healthy until 2005 (making 34 starts and working at least 216 innings in 2002-04) but was sidelined twice last season. He missed September with a torn muscle in his shoulder.

	Hermanson

A key to the championship season a year ago, Hermanson yielded the closer's spot to rookie Bobby Jenks in September because of back problems. He and the team had hoped that an offseason of rest would allow him to pitch relatively unhindered again, but the back problems returned in spring training.

Hermanson tried a series of epidural injections for the back but now will spend another long period of time with rest and conditioning before trying to pitch again, perhaps at some point in June. It's anyone's guess whether he'll make any contributions to a bullpen that is also missing Damaso Marte and Luis Vizcaino from 2005.

Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a Web site at www.chicagosports.com. His book, "Say It's So," a story about the 2005 White Sox, is available at bookstores, through amazon.com or direct order from Triumph Publishing (800-222-4657).