1.   Both he and his doctors said he was recovering well from surgery on Friday to stitch a torn tendon back to his right kneecap.

2.   Doctors say the defect in his right kneecap is not curable and the popping will return from time to time.

3.   Etc. Curtis Pride could not have played in the field if he had to Thursday, after taking a David Cone fastball to the right kneecap the night before.

4.   Hasty had surgery last March on his right kneecap tendon, which bothered him late last season.

5.   Hunter bumped knees with another player last week and irritated the underside of his right kneecap.

6.   His right kneecap is misaligned because of a weak muscle.

7.   Hrudey, making his first appearance since bruising his right kneecap two weeks ago, was spectacular at times in registering his first win of the season.

8.   In addition, his right kneecap was broken in several places, was set wrong during surgery and had to be broken and reset again.

9.   Last year, three weeks before the world championships, he crashed in training and broke his right kneecap.

10.   Liz Masakayan of the U.S. had to undergo more surgery after fracturing her right kneecap two weeks ago in Portugal. . . .