More Injures

Mark Prior was hit by a sizzling liner yesterday of the bat of Brad Hawpe and it looked painful. The first reports were that the X-ray's were negative and you could hear Cub fans let out a sigh of relief. Then about 3 hours later we got a report that the MRI taken revealed a hairline fracture and you could hear us Cub fans moan in pain. Then this morning I read a report that it was just a compression fracture and not a hairline fracture. According to the Cub's trainer there is no specific timetable for Prior's return, but when he gets a full range of motion without pain the Cubs can go from there. Now I wish it was only a bruise, but I feel that Prior was very lucky not to have shattered his elbow. If Prior had shattered his elbow, the chances of Prior ever coming back from that might have been nil. The rumor I hear now is that Todd Wellymeyer will take Prior's spot in the rotation. I know that Todd can't replace Prior's ability, but the way he has been pitching since his last call-up I think this is the smart move. Hopefully Todd can keep it up and give the Cubs some quality starts and keep them in contention until the starters can come back.
It is also being reported that Kerry Wood has been throwing pain free and might be able to come back in a month. If Wood can pitch more effectively after coming back this would be a big boost for the team, but Dusty needs to keep him on a short leash for a while. The Cubs need to baby Kerry for a while since he has a history of arm problems and the last thing they need after Prior's injury is to completely blow out Woods arm/shoulder.