The LSU baseball team will have to wait at least another week for junior pitcher Anthony Ranaudo’s return, coach Paul Mainieri said on Monday.The right-hander suffered a stress reaction in his throwing elbow and has not pitched since the Tigers’ season opener Feb. 19 against Centenary, when he pitched five innings in a 5-4 victory.Ranaudo threw Monday for the first time in two weeks but still felt discomfort, Mainieri said. Ranaudo might be healthy enough to pitch three innings March 14 against Kansas, Mainieri said after LSU’s 9-2 victory against Brown on Sunday.”Although Anthony felt it was much improved, he was still experiencing some of the same symptoms when he threw the ball today,” Mainieri said in a news release. “We were hopeful he could pitch this weekend against Kansas, but we’re not going to put him on the mound until he feels 100 percent. We’ll evaluate Anthony’s condition again at this time next week.”Ranaudo is a player the Tigers need as the Southeastern Conference opening series against Arkansas approaches March 19-21, Mainieri said.”The only thing we’re not prepped for in the SEC is Ranaudo,” Mainieri said. “We’ve got to get him back and ready to go. Without him, as we tackle that SEC schedule, it will make it much more challenging, of course.” Other pitchers are rising to the occasion in Ranaudo’s long absence, Mainieri said.”I was very encouraged by the way [sophomore right-hander] Joey Bourgeois threw,” Mainieri said. “[Junior right-hander] Austin Ross is showing some glimpses of pitching very well, and our bullpen is starting to round into shape. [Sophomore closer Matty] Ott is going to get nothing but better, and he’s got experience.”—-Contact Rachel Whittaker at [email protected].