Borowski fractures wrist

Lets see how this affects the Cubs..

MESA, Ariz. -- Joe Borowski has had to pitch in the Independent League and in Mexico. In 2003, he was the Cubs' MVP, stepping in to save a career-high 33 games and help the team win the Central Division.

Last season, Borowski was sidelined by a shoulder injury that limited him to 22 games. He dedicated himself this winter to six to seven hours a day of rehab to be ready for 2005, and this spring had looked like he was back. He was smiling, the swagger was back.

But it was tough for Borowski to smile on Tuesday. The Cubs reliever has hit another bump in the road.

Borowski has a non-displaced fracture in his right wrist and will be sidelined at least six weeks, the team said Tuesday.

"It's definitely frustrating," Borowski said. "I was sitting at home last night in disbelief."

Borowski, 33, suffered the fracture to his right ulna on Monday against Kansas City in the fourth inning. He faced five batters before the Royals' Mark Teahen hit a comebacker to him to end the inning. Borowski reached for the ball with his pitching hand, and hurt it on the play.

"It bounced once, it was kind of going over my back shoulder and I reached up -- unfortunately with both hands instead of one. It caught me," he said.

"I don't know how many times I've gotten hit by a ball here and there, and it seemed like the same thing," Borowski said. "It didn't hurt when it happened. We did the X-ray just to make sure. I could squeeze, I could move it, everything seemed to be a contusion. Sure enough, took the X-rays and the doctor saw a little fracture in there."

Borowski drove himself to the doctor's office for X-rays after the game in Surprise, Ariz.

"I saw the stitches on the ball on his arm. I figured it was a little worse than he was saying," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "I figured it wasn't broken -- I thought it was bruised."

Borowski will wear a splint for at least one week. Cubs trainer Mark O'Neal said the pitcher will be able to continue his conditioning while his wrist heals.

"We want to keep him in the best shape we can right now," O'Neal said. "What we'll do is go 10 days, two weeks into this, and we'll have a better feel of how long it's going to be.

"You've heard the standard protocol that fractures take four to six weeks to heal," O'Neal said. "We'll re-X-Ray in the latter part of next week. Then you're looking for evidence of healing."

"Hopefully, I can maintain what I'm doing and this won't limit me keeping the strength in my shoulder," Borowski said. "As soon as I'm ready to start throwing, I won't be playing catch up."

O'Neal said the healing process could be complicated by the natural structure of the hand.

"The problem with the fracture on this site, whenever you pronate or rotate your hand, those bones in your wrist criss-cross and they criss-cross in the area where the fracture site is," O'Neal said. "Evidence of healing has to have taken place before he can pick up a ball and throw."

The Cubs came into camp uncertain about who their closer would be. Now it appears LaTroy Hawkins will likely take that role again. Last season, Hawkins was pressed into the job when Borowski injured his shoulder, and went 25-for-34 in save situations.

"It's a situation that you hate to have decided like this," Baker said. "I think Hawk will be even better than he was last year. It's his second time around, he knows the league better, he knows the batters on his own, he's working on different pitches that he's trying to perfect down here in Spring Training to go with his fastball."

This spring, Borowski has given up three runs on five hits while striking out four over five innings, including Monday's outing. The right-hander was hoping to reclaim his job as the team's closer this year. In 2003, he saved a career-high 33 games.

"I don't know how many more of these I can take, to tell you the truth," Borowski said of the latest setback. "I've worked so hard to get back. I don't want to sit around and feel sorry for myself. I'll do whatever I have to so that when the doctor says you can start throwing, I'm ready to go."

At least, Borowski proved to himself that he can pitch again.

"It's not going to be a guessing game when this is done with -- am I going to be able to go out there and pitch?" Borowski said. "I've proved to myself I can go out there and pitch."

Next time, Borowski hopefully will use his glove instead of his pitching hand.

"Every player does that," O'Neal said. "It's just a reaction to reach up and grab it."

"That does make it worse," Baker said. "His arm was just getting strong and in shape. He's a little down about it. Joe's going to work through it like he has everything else."