Kris Benson is ready to join the club of Tommy John surgery survivors.
There is no membership card, no annual convention. But membership is growing as practically every major-league roster lists at least one player who has undergone the reconstructive elbow surgery.
"Every now and then, somebody will come by with a 'Tommy John ball' for you to sign," Benson said with a laugh. "It has the autographs on it of everybody who's had the surgery.
"In some ways, it's neat to be part of a surgery that's still cutting edge."
Benson paused and smiled.
"I wouldn't reccommend it to everybody, though."
Benson has spent the past 11 months recovering from the operation on his right elbow. Monday night, he will return to the Pirates' starting rotation and pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"My arm feels great right now, so let's get it on," he said. "I'll be pretty nervous. I think it will be more exciting than it was when I first got called up. But once I throw that first pitch, it will be out of my system."
Benson will be activated from the disabled list Monday and will take Ron Villone's spot in the rotation. The Pirates have not yet announced who will be moved to clear a roster spot for Benson.
Manager Lloyd McClendon said there are no plans to carry 13 pitchers, which means a reliever — Mike Lincoln is one possibility — will be demoted.
Benson made five rehabilitation starts in the minors, the last one coming Tuesday with Class AA Altoona. He posted a 1.10 ERA, walked eight and struck out 32 batters. His fastball was clocked consistently at 94-96 mph and his slider at 87-89 mph.
"His stuff is electrifying," McClendon said. "He's passed all the tests, so I see no reason to hold him back any longer."
Benson will be limited to 93-95 pitches Monday.
"From there, we'd like to take it to 100," McClendon said. "I would doubt if you'll see him go over 100 pitches (in a game) this season."
As the season goes on, Benson will be given extra rest. His starts might occasionally be pushed back a day or two around off days.
"It would be the logical thing to do," McClendon said. "Any time we can give him an extra day, we'll probably give it to him. We've waited this long, so we're certainly not going to do anything that might jeopardize his future. We'll be very cautious."
Benson has drawn a tough chore for his PNC Park debut — a start against the defending world champion Diamondbacks. He also must relearn how to approach hitters, adjust to new guys in the league, and figure out how to pitch in his new home park.
"It's going to be a new thing for me again," he said.
Benson is slightly ahead of the usual recovery rate from the surgery. Some pitchers, such as Matt Morris of St. Louis and John Smoltz of Atlanta, make their returns in the bullpen.
"I'm going to have to take it as it comes," Benson said. "People keep telling me that I'm going to have bumps in the road, so I've got to keep that in the back of my mind. But at the same time, I have to go out and be aggressive and not hold back anything.
"It's going to be a long haul. I know my arm's going to get a little bit tired toward the end of the (season). Once August and September come around, that will be a big pressure point for me, and I'll really have to bear down."
Although he expects to have some jitters before firing his first pitch, Benson does not believe the injury and long rehab will affect his mental approach.
"Not at all," he said. "I've been throwing real good. I've done exactly what everybody's asked me to do. Now, it's time for me to go out there and just let it go."
