Update on Figgins' broken finger

By Doug Padilla
Staff Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. – Chone Figgins found out Thursday he has a broken finger that could alter the Angels' Opening Day plans.
Figgins suffered the injury to the middle finger of his right hand in Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks when he misplayed a ground ball from Conor Jackson. He earned an error on the play.
The fracture was discovered in an X-ray on Thursday and Figgins will return to Orange County today to be examined by Steve Shin, an orthopedic hand surgeon from the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic.
“It's hard to see the ball coming off the bleachers here and I reacted to my left,” Figgins said. “The ball happened to be more toward the back of my right leg and it just hit off the tip of my finger.”
Figgins seemed shocked to hear he had a fracture at the tip of his finger. He figured he just had some swelling that would go away soon. In fact, he still doesn't think he will be out long and is determined to play on Opening Day.
“(Thursday) he made a lot of improvement so he thinks it felt good and it's close,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Until we know exactly the extent it's tough to put a time frame on it but I'm optimistic just by the way he felt today. This could be something where he could be out there quickly.”
If Figgins does miss some time in the regular season, the Angels expect to cover his position with Maicer Izturis or Robb Quinlan as their first choices. Shea Hillenbrand, who does have some experience at third, would be a second-tier option along with Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick.
“The way it feels it will be just a couple of days just until the swelling goes down," Figgins said. "I'm not the doctor, though. I was picking up a baseball and a bat last night to see if I have some feeling there and I do,”
Scioscia said Brandon Wood is just not ready to handle an assignment like that at this stage of his development. Wood, a shortstop who is highly touted because of his power potential, just started playing third base this spring. He was recently reassigned to minor-league camp.