Los Angeles Angels third baseman Chone Figgins will be sidelined indefinitely after fracturing the middle finger on his throwing hand. He hopes to be ready by opening day.
Figgins was injured during the Angels’ 8-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. He will be examined today. X-rays taken Thursday confirmed the fracture.
“I’ll be ready as soon as the swelling goes down,” said Figgins, who hit .267 with a 52 stolen bases last season. “It’s pain, but not a lot of pain.”
When asked if he would be ready to play when the Angels begin the season April 2 against the Texas Rangers, Figgins said: “If it’s up to me, yeah.”
Red Sox: Jonathan Papelbon is heading back to the bullpen to fill a major void, though he isn’t doing it because an injury to Mike Timlin (strained side) left the team without a closer.
“I haven’t been sleeping well because there’s been that feeling deep down in my heart that I wanted to close,” Papelbon said.
Papelbon is coming off a sensational rookie season in which he had 35 saves and an 0.92 ERA. But he was shut down with a month to go because of shoulder problems, and the Red Sox had planned to use him in the rotation to keep him on a more regular schedule.
Cubs: Right-hander Mark Prior, nursing a sore pitching shoulder, had his best outing of the spring. Whether he’ll start the season on the active roster is unclear.
“He threw the ball better, that’s the most important thing. A really nice step forward for him,” manager Lou Piniella said after Prior’s four-inning outing in a 1-0 loss to the San Diego Padres. “I think the idea of not rushing him, giving him time, it’s the right tonic.”
Prior threw 59 pitches, walked two and struck out three.
“I felt good and the arm feels great,” Prior said.
Twins: Catcher Joe Mauer has a stress reaction in his left leg, and will sit out for a few days for treatment.
The Twins described the injury as a precursor to a stress fracture. An MRI exam found nothing more serious.
“He should be OK after a little treatment,” general manager Terry Ryan said. “That would be the hope. I think we’re OK.”
Phillies: Right-hander Freddy Garcia has a sore right biceps and will be re-evaluated by the team physician on Saturday.
“I’m not worried. I know I’m going to be OK,” Garcia said.
Catcher Carlos Ruiz, who has a sore right shoulder, also will be re-examined Saturday.
Dodgers: Rafael Furcal sprained his left ankle when he collided with teammate Jason Repko after catching a flyball in short center field, but doesn’t figure to miss much playing time.
“I thought I had broken it, but I’m glad it’s only sprained,” the shortstop said. “… I may be out four or five days.”
Cardinals: Manager Tony La Russa was arrested in Jupiter, Fla., on a drunken driving charge after police said they found him asleep inside his running sport utility vehicle at a stop light.
La Russa gave two breath samples and had a blood-alcohol content of 0.093 percent, Jupiter police said in a statement. Florida’s legal driving limit is 0.08 percent.
