BRADENTON, Fla. -- Five of the Pirates' 29 pitchers in minicamp -- Ryan Vogelsong, John Van Benschoten, Jeff Miller, Paul Maholm and Sean Burnett -- will be kept off a mound for the duration of the five-day session that opened yesterday.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Ryan Vogelsong was one of five pitchers the Pirates will not allow to throw off the mound in minicamp. Click photo for larger image.

Vogelsong, a candidate for the fifth starter's job, has a fatigued shoulder after pitching in the Venezuelan winter league. He projected that he will take a mound within 7-10 days and that he will be ready for the start of spring training.

"I feel fine," he said. "I'm just a little bit behind."

Van Benschoten, the Pirates' first-round draft pick in 2001 and a long-shot candidate to be the fifth starter, is recovering from offseason surgery on his left -- non-throwing -- shoulder. The team plans to wait until he has full range of motion in both shoulders before allowing him to pitch.

Pitching coach Spin Williams described Van Benschoten as "a ways away from starting to throw."

Maholm, a first-round pick in 2003, has been slowed by offseason surgery to clear his vision after the orbital and sinus bones around his left eye were broken by a line drive May 15 while with Class A Lynchburg.

He had one surgery shortly after the injury and returned to pitch for Hickory in the lower Class A in August. But that went poorly -- he went 0-2 with a 9.49 ERA and 10 walks in 12 1/3 innings -- and a plan to send him to the Arizona Fall League was scrapped. He had the second surgery in September.

Maholm could start throwing on the side by the end of the month.

"Losing any time is going to set you back," he said. "But I'm not going to let it hold me back."

Miller, the closer for Class AA Altoona and a member of the 40-man roster, has lingering elbow discomfort after pitching in the Arizona Fall League.

Burnett will not pitch until midseason at the earliest because of elbow surgery.

Meadows reaches deal

Pitcher Brian Meadows last night agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $1,125,000, leaving the Pirates with four remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible players. Meadows, who made a $625,000 salary last season plus $145,000 in bonuses, also can receive a $75,000 bonus in 2005 if he appears in 70 games.

In his first full season of relief, he went 2-4 with a 3.58 ERA, 46 strikeouts and 19 walks in 78 innings and 68 appearances.

"I'm happy with it," Meadows said. "And I'm glad to have it out of the way."

Bradenton bits

The team's first workout lasted little more than an hour yesterday morning, and it included long tosses, bunting, fielding and pickoff footwork. The only committed players who did not report were first baseman Daryle Ward, who is expected to arrive today, and catcher Ronny Paulino, who had problems getting a visa to leave the Dominican Republic but also is expected today.

Oliver Perez, the Pirates' top pitcher last season, said he has no problem with the team's decision to wait until after the coming season to look into negotiating a long-term contract with him: "I'm not thinking about anything like that. I'm just trying to play baseball. I'm thinking about the start of the season. We can talk after the season." The team can pay him close to the major-league minimum $316,000 this season, but he will be eligible for arbitration next year.

NBC's "Nightly News" will be broadcast live from PNC Park Friday night. Anchor Brian Williams will use the patio of the Bierbauer's club in the upper deck for the set, with the Pittsburgh skyline as the background.