As things stand for now, it is only a case of arm fatigue that has caused the Pirates to place Sean Burnett, a starter on their Class AAA affiliate in Indianapolis, on the minor-league disabled list. That requires him to miss seven days, but it is more likely that time will cover two weeks or so.

There could wind up being more to the matter, though.

	MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT Friday's results INDIANAPOLIS (31-22) lost to Charlotte, 7-5. LHP Shane Youman (1-5, 5.26) allowed six runs, five earned, and eight hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked one. DH Brad Eldred (.250) hit his third home run and went 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Charlotte RF Craig Wilson (.263) hit his first home run in his fifth game since signing with the Chicago White Sox organization. ALTOONA (24-27) beat Reading, 10-9. RHP Yoslan Herrera (0-4, 6.47) allowed five runs and eight hits in three innings. 3B Neil Walker (.283) went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI. CF Andrew McCutchen (.216) went 1 for 3 with a walk, a hit batsman and two runs. LYNCHBURG (27-25) lost at Winston-Salem, 6-4. RHP Clayton Hamilton (2-3, 5.71) allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings. LF James Boone (.320) and 2B Shelby Ford (.238) each went 2 for 4. HICKORY (22-30) won at Greenville, 6-3. RHP Dionis Rodriguez (0-0, 2.25) allowed one run in four innings. LF Alex Presley (.250) went 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Burnett also has experienced nerve irritation in his left elbow, some of that shooting pain into his hand, over the past two weeks. And that has management concerned enough that he will be examined at some point in the next few days by Dr. Mark Baratz, the Pirates' hand specialist at Allegheny General Hospital.

Given Burnett's history -- he missed all of 2005 to reconstructive elbow surgery and related shoulder surgery -- that might raise a red flag.

Still, he spoke optimistically yesterday that his arm was nothing other than tired.

"We're just going to give it a rest for a while," Burnett said by phone from Indianapolis. "I don't know if maybe I pushed it a little too hard in spring training trying to make the team or what, but it really started to feel tired over the last couple of weeks. There are too many good things that can still happen this season for me to push it now."

Burnett, 24, the Pirates' first-round draft choice in 2000, is 4-4 with a 4.37 ERA in 11 starts for Indianapolis, with an unsightly 33 walks in 59 innings. After two good outings, he gave up five runs in three innings Wednesday in a home game against Buffalo.

Kuwata debut on hold

Masumi Kuwata, who joined the Indianapolis bullpen last night, was not one of the three relievers manager Trent Jewett used in a 7-5 loss to Charlotte.

At an introductory news conference earlier in the day at Indianapolis' Victory Field, Kuwata, alternating his answers between Japanese and English, pronounced himself delighted to be on the verge of his North American debut and optimistic that the right ankle that was sprained in spring training will be no hindrance.

"I am very happy to be pitching again," he said. "I am trying to get used to my ankle, but I will do my best to pitch well."

Buried treasure

Reliever Damaso Marte was unavailable the past two nights, manager Jim Tracy said, because of a strained biceps muscle in his left arm. The injury is considered "nothing serious," Tracy added.

Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche had lunch with younger brother Andy, a rookie third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, before the game last night. It marked the first time they competed against one another professionally. "Pretty neat," Adam LaRoche said.

The game next Saturday against the New York Yankees will not be moved from its 1:05 p.m. start, even if Roger Clemens pitches that day. Fox did not exercise its option to change the time.

Should the Pirates' right-handed relief woes continue, it probably will not be long before major-league veteran Dan Kolb is summoned from Indianapolis. In addition to pitching a scoreless ninth inning Thursday in his first game back from a hamstring injury, he hit 95 mph on the radar gun.

Patty Paytas, the Pirates' vice president of communications and spokeswoman since January 2002, was shifted to vice president of community and public affairs. She will lead the newly created Pirates Charities arm. Brian Warecki, previously the senior director of business communications, will drop the word "business" from that title and assume the role of spokesman.