ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (TICKER)—The defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays will be without valuable set-up man Chad Bradford for at least the first month of the season. The Rays said Monday that Bradford will be sidelined until May - possibly longer - after undergoing surgery on his right elbow Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama. The veteran righthander had been going through his offseason training program when he felt discomfort in his pitching arm. He reported the problem to team doctors, which resulted in a surgical procedure in which Dr. James Andrews removed loose bodies from Bradford's elbow. “He'd just started his throwing program, and on the third day of his throwing program, he had some discomfort in his elbow,”Rays vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.“And then he experienced some swelling in his elbow, which is consistent with loose bodies.” The submarine-throwing Bradford, who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on August 7, is facing a recovery time of three to four months. “We decided that doing a scope would be in the best interest of him and the team,”Friedman added.“We did that and we expect him to miss the first month or two of the season.” Bradford, 34, made 21 appearances for the Rays, posting a 1.42 ERA. In 68 combined outings with Baltimore and Tampa Bay last season, he was 4-3 with a 2.12 ERA. “To focus on the positive, it's going to be a great shot in the arm for us when he is back,”Friedman said.“And to be able to add that quality of a reliever to the mix at that point.” --

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