Kip Wells began experiencing discomfort in his right elbow in mid-August. He skipped a start and underwent an MRI, which revealed no structural damage beyond swelling in the joint. However, the Pirates wanted to give the 27-year-old sufficient time to rest, so Pittsburgh placed him on the disabled list on August 23rd, retroactive to August 14th. Wells came off the disabled list to start the Pirates' September 5th game in Houston, but left the game due to elbow tightness in the bottom of the first inning after pitching to just two batters. While additional tests failed to uncover any serious problem, Pittsburgh shut him down for the remainder of the season.