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Marte Injures Shoulder in WBC

Something's wrong with Damaso Marte's shoulder. After pitching for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, he's heading back to the United States to have his shoulder examined by Pirates doctors. If he's unable to pitch at the beginning of the season, the Pirates will have to find someone else, presumably a lefty, to take his spot. With Mike Gonzalez closing and John Grabow as the top lefty setup man, there aren't many other lefties available - if Tom Gorzelanny or Sean Burnett don't win rotation jobs, the Pirates will presumably want them to keep starting in the minors. C.J. Nitkowski is a possibility, but not the best one. Mike Johnston is already in minor-league camp.

The Pirates could also just go with one lefty setup man, or they could allow Salomon Torres or Roberto Hernandez to close.