Posted By Jeff Fletcher on March 14, 2009 2:53 pm

Apparently Justin Duchscherer’s long-toss didn’t go well this morning. He cut it short because of elbow pain, then had a cortisone shot. That setback eliminates the chance that he’ll be able to start the season in the rotation.

“If I don’t feel better soon, I’d probably start the season on the DL,” Duchscherer said. “I’ve got a lot of pitches to throw to get ready to start a regular season game.”

It’s also possible that Duchscherer could start the year in the bullpen while he’s building up to going into the rotation. Duchscherer said he wouldn’t mind that, but at this point he can’t even consider that possibility because he’s still in pain.

“To the say the least, it’s frustrating,” he said.