Armando Benitez ready to pitch for Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Armando Benitez reported Thursday to spring training, and he plans to pitch in a simulated game as early as next week.

"This team is great," Benitez said of the Blue Jays.

"They have great personalities. It is my best first day in camp."

Benitez, 35, signed Tuesday with Toronto for $700,000 US, if he makes the major-league roster.

But the veteran right-hander isn't worried that he has missed a month of spring training camp.

"I didn't think about it," said Benitez, who has 289 saves in 14 major-league seasons. 

"I'm here to help the team the moment they need me. I was working out in the Dominican to be ready the moment I came into the United States."

Benitez split 55 games between the San Francisco Giants and Florida Marlins last season, finishing 2-8 with a 5.37 earned-run average and 17 saves, despite being hampered by hamstring problems.

"Last season is really hard to talk about," he said. "But it was real complicated being hurt because nobody wants to be hurt, especially me, because I want the ball all the time."

Benitez is 40-46 lifetime with a 3.11 ERA and 289 saves in 754 relief appearances since making his major-league debut on July 28, 1994.

He has struck out 937 batters in 772 2/3 innings pitched with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Marlins and Giants.

With files from the Canadian Press /* */ #technorati_holder{ visibility:visible !important; }

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