Reds Wait To Hear If Belinda Has MS
.c The Associated Press
By JOE KAY
CINCINNATI (AP) - Tests results should tell next week whether Cincinnati Reds
reliever Stan Belinda has multiple sclerosis, the team's doctor said Wednesday
night.
Belinda was on the disabled list in the first half of the season when he
started feeling numbness in his leg. Tests found inflammation in the spinal
cord but indicated there was only a slight chance he had multiple sclerosis,
an incurable disease of the nervous system.
He came off the disabled list on July 8 and appeared in 14 games, but began
experiencing more numbness. The Reds sent him for a spinal tap, more blood
tests and MRI tests on Monday.
``At this point, the tests that have come back have been inconclusive,'' Dr.
Timothy Kremchek said. ``At this point, we still do not believe that he has
multiple sclerosis, but we are doing every test that we possibly can to rule
that out.
``Most of those tests won't be back until the middle of next week, so the
decision on what's going to happen to him for the rest of the season is still
kind of up in the air.''
Belinda had a 3.05 ERA after returning from his first stint on the disabled
list and became bothered when the symptoms began to return.
``They'd been kind of going on over the last few weeks and they escalated,''
Kremchek said. ``In his mind, they were affecting his performance on the
field.''
Belinda was not in the clubhouse before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Kremchek briefed reporters after returning from Birmingham, Ala., where he
helped Dr. James Andrews operate on minor-league pitcher Jesus Martinez.
Martinez, the brother of Pedro and Ramon Martinez, had a slight tear in the
rotator cuff and a frayed labrum. Kremchek said he should be fully recovered
by spring training.
The Reds got Martinez from Florida on March 26 to complete the trade for Eric
Owens. Martinez was 7-6 with a 6.85 ERA for Triple-A Indianapolis.
AP-NY-08-12-98 2106EDT