MLB: Schilling's elbow swollen after liner; X-rays negative

Killswitch

CHICAGO -- Curt Schilling's right elbow was swollen and sore after he was hit by a line drive off Jim Thome's bat in the sixth inning of Boston's 6-5, 19-inning loss to the White Sox on Sunday.

X-rays were negative.

"It's pretty swollen and pretty sore," the pitcher said, adding that he expected to make his next scheduled start after the All-Star break.

With men on first and second and one out in the sixth inning, Thome hit a line drive up the middle that ricocheted off Schilling's right elbow.

Manager Terry Francona and a trainer came out to check on the righty. Schilling threw a few warm-up pitches before deciding to stay in the game and complete the inning.

Francona said he thought the ball hit Schilling in the ribs and that's how it appeared on video replays.

"I think he's OK," Francona said. "He got it more on the flesh. He's going to have a good bruise and he's going to be sore, but [it wasn't] on the bone."

Francona said he was hoping to get another inning out of his ace, but Schilling could feel the elbow tighten up right away and knew he wouldn't be able to go much longer.

"The spot where it got me, it wasn't going to be long. As soon as I got in the dugout, within 20 or 30 seconds there was no shot of me being able to throw a baseball," Schilling said.

In his 400th career start, Schilling gave up five hits and two runs in six innings.
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Well I will tell you one thing that the red sox are very lucky that this wasnt more serious than it is. Becuase if they would of lost him they would of been unlucky and there team would of took a big hit becuase they would of had two rookies in the rotation and only one ace instead of two.

Thoughts?