The uplifting news for Jose Castillo was that his injured left knee will mend on its own.

The upsetting news was that the rest of his season was wiped away.

	Minor League Report Monday's results INDIANAPOLIS (74-57) lost to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 3-2, in 10 innings. LHP Oliver Perez (4.50), making his first rehabilitation start, allowed two runs and seven hits in four innings. RHP Chris Enochs (4-3, 5.30) allowed one run, on a Chris Coste home run in the 10th, in six innings of relief. SS J.J. Furmaniak (.272) hit his 16th home run. ALTOONA (68-61) won at Bowie, 8-4. RHP Matt Peterson (5.78) allowed two runs in six innings. 3B Jose Bautista (.283) went 2 for 4 with his 23rd home run, a two-run shot, and an RBI single. LF Rich Thompson (.267) hit a grand slam, his third home run. 1B Tom Evans (.283) hit his 13th home run. LYNCHBURG (70-58) beat Winston-Salem, 6-1. LHP Derrick Van Dusen (10-5, 4.27) allowed one run in seven innings. C Mike McCuistion (.289) went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. HICKORY (49-71) had its game against Lexington rained out. WILLIAMSPORT (34-26) was off. BRADENTON (26-25) beat the Twins, 7-3. RHP Nicolas Suero (5-5, 3.28) allowed three runs, two earned, in seven innings. CF Andrew McCutchen (.289) went 3 for 5 with his second home run, a three-run shot, and a double. He also had his 13th stolen base.

Doctors at Allegheny General Hospital yesterday determined that Castillo, the Pirates' starting second baseman, has a complete tear of the medial collateral ligament, the result of a collision on a double play Monday night at PNC Park. Surgery is not required, but plenty of healing time is. He will spend two weeks in a cast boot, then begin a lengthy program of strengthening and flexibility.

General manager Dave Littlefield said the team expects Castillo to be "100 percent" for the opening of spring training, and he described the diagnosis as positive when compared to one that would have required surgery and might have cut into next season.

"Certainly, any doctor will tell you they'd rather not operate than operate," Littlefield said. "It's the only good thing to come out of a really tough injury."

The MCL is one of two ligaments that provide stability inside the knee, and it is the one that heals most easily. Castillo's tear was diagnosed as a Grade 3, meaning complete, but even that extreme rarely requires surgery.

Although he is only 24, Castillo was in his second full season of Major League Baseball. He finished with a .268 average, 11 home runs and 53 RBIs in 101 games. He also combined with shortstop Jack Wilson to form the National League's best double-play combination.

The only downside to his performance was a penchant for mental errors, more than any player on the team, but management and teammates universally dismissed that as a byproduct of youth.

"He's the best I've ever seen over there at turning the double play, and he was having a great all-around year," Wilson said. "The mistakes he makes are young-guy mistakes. This was only his second year. You can see that, in time, that stuff's not going to happen. If you look at his numbers and what he's done, that guy has an extreme amount of promise."

"This guy's a great player, and it's a huge loss for us," reliever Brian Meadows said. "It's going to be tough to adjust without him."

Castillo also missed the opening month of the season because of a strained oblique. Most players who miss that much time would play winter ball, but Littlefield suggested the Pirates were leaning away from that.

North Side notches

The Pirates announced four of the six players they will assign to Peoria of the Arizona Fall League, including first baseman Brad Eldred from the major-league roster. The others are starter Bryan Bullington of Class AAA Indianapolis, center fielder Rajai Davis of the Class AA Altoona Curve and catcher Neil Walker of Class A Hickory. Bullington and Walker are no surprises, being first-round picks, but Davis stands out as a 38th-rounder in 2001. He is batting .281 with a Curve-record 43 stolen bases. "Rajai is deserving," director of player development Brian Graham said. "He's done everything really well for us." Two more pitchers remain to be determined. They will not come from the major-league roster.

Outfielder Craig Wilson took batting practice with the team for the first time since his left hand was fractured July 16. He swung lightly to start, then picked up steam, showing no apparent difficulty. There is no timetable for his return.

Third baseman Ty Wigginton was inserted into the lineup immediately upon arrival from Indianapolis, but it is unclear how much action he will get the rest of the way. Manager Lloyd McClendon described his plan for dividing time between Wigginton, Freddy Sanchez and Rob Mackowiak at second and third base as a fluid one: "They're interchangeable parts. We're going to go with what works in each game."

To take Wigginton's place in Indianapolis, the Pirates promoted Jose Bautista from Altoona. Bautista, the organization's only prospect at third base, batted .283 for the Curve with 23 home runs, 27 doubles and 90 RBIs in 117 games.