PHOENIX -- Nomar Garciaparra had an MRI exam in Los Angeles on Wednesday that revealed a microfracture of the capitate bone in his right wrist.
Dodgers officials downplayed the news, with trainer Stan Conte saying through a team spokesperson that Garciaparra basically had a bruised bone. Garciaparra received a cortisone injection in his soft tissue to reduce swelling in the area and could resume hitting by the weekend.
How exactly the diagnosis will affect the Dodgers could be clarified today when Garciaparra reports back to the Dodgers' camp in Phoenix, where the split squads that were in Florida and China reconvened Wednesday. The third baseman will speak to the club's medical staff and be re-evaluated.
The capitate bone is the largest of the carpal bones and sits in the middle of the wrist, not in the same area where Garciaparra was hit by a pitch in a spring-training game March 7.
Garciaparra complained of discomfort in the upper part of his hand when taking batting practice in Phoenix on Tuesday, but said he wanted to continue hitting so that his hand wouldn't become weak.
"It definitely got progressively better over the last week," Garciaparra said. "The way the bat sits [in my hand] causes pain. That'll be the final hump."
General Manager Ned Colletti maintained his stance that it was too early to look outside the organization for infield help. The other player who was competing to be the team's starting third baseman, Andy LaRoche, is out until at least May because of a torn ligament in his right thumb. Potential backup Tony Abreu played seven innings Wednesday, but has had setbacks related to his off-season abdominal surgery.
"We'll see where Nomar is in another week or so," Colletti said. "In the meantime, we'll continue to see if we can figure out from within or we have to go outside."
The Dodgers have so far resisted pursuing Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers and Joe Crede of the Chicago White Sox, in part because Garciaparra and LaRoche aren't expected to be out for long. Manager Joe Torre recently said that options could increase in the coming days, when the trimming of other rosters could result in veteran help becoming available.
With Garciaparra and LaRoche sidelined, Torre said that the majority of the playing time at third base in the Dodgers' six Cactus League games would go to Blake DeWitt, a 22-year-old prospect who has never played above double A.
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