Peter Diana, Post-Gazette First baseman Brad Eldred hits a long two-run home run against Sean Burnett in his first at-bat yesterday in the Pirates' intrasquad game at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.

By Dejan Kovacevic
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette BRADENTON, Fla. -- Outfielder Xavier Nady, still without a firm diagnosis for his inflamed intestine, sought and received permission from the Pirates to fly to Pittsburgh yesterday for more tests.

He will be examined today at Allegheny General Hospital by a gastric specialist he expects will be able to help him there all season, if needed. He should rejoin the team tomorrow.

"It hasn't been determined exactly what kind of testing will be done," Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said. "But since they haven't gotten a tell-tale answer as to why he's had these stomach pains, they'll do whatever they need to do to find out what the answer is."

The tests taken Monday at Bradenton's Manatee Memorial Hospital revealed "nothing conclusive," Littlefield added.

It still has not been determined if Nady has any of the various chronic conditions that can cause inflamed intestines. Crohn's disease, one of the most severe of those conditions, has not been ruled out.

Still, there is general -- if guarded -- optimism in the organization that Nady's case might not be so serious, in large part because his symptoms have improved significantly in the past week. Again yesterday, he was at the McKechnie Field clubhouse in full uniform and engaged in a light workout.

"The good news is that he's feeling a lot better," Littlefield said. "This isn't something that's bothered him on a frequent basis and, frankly, progress is being made as far as how he feels. So, it's not something that I'm overly concerned about."

On Monday, an upbeat Nady said, "Everything's going to be fine."

Bullington's big return

Bryan Bullington, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, pitched in a game for the first time since Sept. 18, 2005, and fared well in the intrasquad scrimmage yesterday at Pirate City. He needed only 10 pitches to get through his lone inning. He walked one and retired the other three.

Although Bullington was delighted to downplay the event -- "Ho hum," he joked after stepping off the field -- it did not escape management's attention. And neither did seeing Sean Burnett and John Van Benschoten, two other first-round picks coming back from arm surgeries, take the mounds in the same afternoon.

"It's very encouraging," manager Jim Tracy said. "If some of these things continue to go on, you can say that the depth and strength of our starting pitching is even greater than we anticipated."

Indianapolis manager Trent Jewett's team beat Altoona manager Tim Leiper's team, 8-2.

Other game highlights

Brad Eldred launched a mammoth two-run home run in his first at-bat, golfing a Sean Burnett curveball onto the roof of the clubhouse well beyond left-center field. "He's probably the only guy in uniform who could hit that ball that far," Tracy said.

Burnett started but lasted only two-thirds of an inning. After 28 pitches and four consecutive hits, his inning was halted.

Outfielder Luis Matos, a good bet to make the Pirates' bench, doubled twice and made two defensive gems, including throwing out Andrew McCutchen at the plate when McCutchen tried to score from second on a Ryan Doumit single.

Nate McLouth hit a three-run home run against Shane Youman and tripled.

Neil Walker's first game at third base was flawless. He made one sharp stop and started two double plays. "Encouraging," director of player development Brian Graham called it.

Buried treasure

Most of the 12 pitchers and 20 position players used in the scrimmage will play again today in the 12:05 p.m. exhibition against Manatee Community College at McKechnie Field.

Yoslan Herrera will start, followed by Josh Shortslef, Kip Bouknight, Dave Davidson, Juan Perez, Jesse Chavez and Franquelis Osoria.

Starter Masumi Kuwata, so cool with the Japanese media horde all spring, displayed visible frustration yesterday when a camera crew -- with dangling microphones -- came behind the Pirates' bench area during the scrimmage to try to record his conversation with pitching coach Jim Colborn. Kuwata shooed them away and, later, declined to hold his daily news conference.