GLENDALE, Ariz. | Right-hander Julio Pimentel, one of the Royals’ top pitching prospects, is expected to miss at least six weeks &mdash; maybe a lot more &mdash; because of ligament damage and a broken bone spur in his right elbow.</p><p> Pimentel, 23, suffered the injury Friday while making a pitch to Texas’ Hank Blalock. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam revealed the damage Saturday and prompted club officials to seek a second opinion regarding treatment.</p><p> The affected bone spur is near the ulnar collateral ligament in Pimentel’s elbow. It is a non-displaced fracture. The follow-up exam, which has not yet been scheduled, will determine seek to determine whether the ligament will heal when the bone spur mends.</p><p> If not, surgery will be required.</p><p> Pimentel represented the Royals at last year’s All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium and pitched a scoreless inning for the World team in a 3-0 victory. He was 7-13 with a 5.38 ERA in 28 starts last season at Class AA Northwest Arkansas.</p><p> The Royals acquired Pimentel from the Dodgers in the July 25, 2006 trade that netted pitchers Odalis Perez and Blake Johnson in exchange for pitcher Elmer Dessens. </p><p><strong>Position battles</strong<</p><p> Teahen is still fuming that St. Mary’s, his alma mater, wasn’t selected for the NCAA’s 65-team men’s basketball tournament _ and seems to be taking it out on opposing pitchers.</p><p> Teahen went two for a two with a walk in Monday’s victory after going three for four with a double and two homers in Sunday’s 11-3 victory over the Giants.</p><p> So…is he channeling his anger?</p><p> “Yeah, but they don’t need to snub St. Mary’s,” Teahen said. “I can find other stuff to be ticked about.” <b>Medical updates</b></p><p> Relievers Doug Waechter, John Bale and Oscar Villarreal are making progress in their recovery from physical setbacks.</p><p> Waechter planned to throw a bullpen session Monday as the next step in his recovery from a blister on his middle finger, which resulted from an ingrown nail. A portion of the nail was surgically removed last week.</p><p> Bale and Villarreal are scheduled for their first bullpen sessions Tuesday since suffering their setbacks. Bale underwent surgery March 3 to remove a hyperactive thyroid; Villarreal has been battling a sore elbow.</p><p><b>Guillen returns</b></p><p> Outfielder José Guillen returned today to camp after his wife, Yamel, gave birth last week to the couple’s first child, a son named Derek. Plans call for Guillen to undergo workouts today in Surprise and make Tuesday’s trip to Tucson for a game against Colorado. </p><p><b>Looking back</b></p><p> It was 14 years ago Tuesday &mdash; March 17, 1995 &mdash; that the Royals lost their first lady, Muriel Kauffman, who died at age 79. She was inducted the following year in the club’s Hall of Fame.</p><p><b>Classic clips</b></p><p>Tracking the Royals in the World Baseball Classic:</p><p>Reliever Joakim Soria pitched a scoreless inning, retiring three hits on nine pitches, in Mexico’s 8-2 loss to Korea. Mexico plays Cuba at 10 tonight Central time in an elimination game. </p><p>Shortstop Mike Aviles and Puerto Rico play Venezuela at 7 tonight with the winner getting a guaranteed spot the WBC semifinals. The loser will need to beat the United States on Tuesday to advance.