Peculiar Pains

There have been some bizarre injuries that have affected ballplayers throughout the league this year, from anal fissures to (cringe) fractured testicles. The latest name to add to the list: Jered Weaver.

The peculiarity of Weaver's ailment does not have as much to do with the type of injury it is as it does the manner in which he sustained it. While pushing himself up off the bench during Tuesday night's game in Comerica Park, Weaver accidentally pressed his hands against the staples that hold the upholstery together, and in the process sliced up the tips of his pitching hand's middle and ring fingers.

The lacerations were not deep enough to require stitches and the injury is not considered serious, but Weaver will have his start that was scheduled for tonight pushed back to Monday. Starting in his place against the White Sox will be Dustin Moseley, who was recently called up when rosters expanded. Moseley was a fairly effective pitcher last year, but his 6.73 ERA over 116 2/3 innings in Triple-A this year - along with a 7.15 ERA during a 34-inning stint in the majors - makes him an unappealing option.

Now that I've found a way to unnecessarily work the terms "anal fissures" and "fractured testicles" into this column, let's move on to some notes from around baseball to take you into the weekend.

* Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi is publicly toying with the notion of moving setup man Scott Downs into the Toronto rotation next season. Downs has been a terrific reliever over the past season with particularly dominant numbers against lefties, but hasn't started a game since 2006. In 50 career starts, he has posted a 5.35 ERA, which pales in comparison to his 2.31 ERA as a reliever. Reverting him to the starting role might not work out, but it's worth a shot since he can always be moved back to the bullpen if needed.

* Carlos Zambrano has been discussed in this space almost every day this week, but the talk has mostly been speculative. Finally, we can report something substantive: Zambrano had an MRI done on his shoulder on Thursday and it revealed inflammation and tendonitis in his rotator cuff. He received a cortisone shot and is expected to resume throwing next week. The Cubs hope to get him back on the hill during next weekend's series against the Astros.

* A pair of young starters made their major-league debuts in the Braves/Nationals match-up on Thursday night. Twenty-two-year-old James Parr went for the Braves and picked up the win, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just a pair of hits. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Shairon Martis got the nod for the Nats, and he battled through some control issues to contribute five innings of two-run ball. Parr was the better pitcher in this game, but if you ask me, it's Martis who has the brighter long-term outlook.

AL Quick Hits: Ervin Santana struck out eight while allowing just one run over 7 1/3 innings Thursday in a win over the Tigers . X-rays on Mark Teixeira's right hand came up negative, and Tex called the injury "very, very minor" . Ozzie Guillen said that both Carlos Quentin and Ken Griffey Jr. will be in the White Sox lineup tonight . Melvin Mora told reporters there's "no way" he'd return to the Orioles lineup this weekend, which is unfortunate considering the way he's been hitting the ball lately . Ian Kinsler, who was at one point a legitimate MVP candidate, will undergo season-ending surgery for a sports hernia.

NL Quick Hits: Kyle Kendrick will have his next turn in the Phillies rotation skipped, setting up a Sunday match-up between Cole Hamels and Johan Santana . Padres GM Kevin Towers plans on approaching 40-year-old closer Trevor Hoffman about a contract extension during the offseason . Wandy Rodriguez threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and is expected to start tomorrow against the Rockies . Ronnie Belliard went 3-for-3 on Thursday night, but suffered a groin injury that may keep him out for the rest of the season . Jo-Jo Reyes was scratched from his start on Thursday to accompany his wife during the birth of their child, and is expected to start on Sunday.

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