http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070215&content_id=1803050&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlbMESA, Ariz. -- The good news on the first day of workouts for Cubs pitchers and catchers Thursday was that Mark Prior and Wade Miller both threw off a mound. The bad news was that Kerry Wood was sidelined with an injury.
Wood bruised his right side when he fell out of a hot tub at his home Monday night. He'll be sidelined four to five days. His ego was hurt more than his rib cage.
"I'm just getting ready for Spring Training, feeling good," Wood said. "I [got out of the tub] and landed on my stomach and my chest and didn't feel too good. It's that time of year for me."
Wood, limited to four starts last season because of shoulder problems, had been throwing well the last two months leading up to the start of camp. This was not how he wanted to start Spring Training.
"I've got six weeks to get ready," he said. "I feel like I need 2 1/2 [weeks]. I was ready to go. I'd like to show people I'm ready instead of getting ice packs and people asking me questions. I am ready to go, I will be ready to go."
Wood would've thrown on Friday at Fitch Park, but instead will be sidelined at least four days. Because of Wood's past rash of injuries, the headlines will likely be, "Here we go again."
"Let's not get into that," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Things happen, that's all. That's why you have six weeks here. Things aren't done in one day or one week. We've got plenty of time to get these guys ready to play. What you want more than anything else is that everybody is healthy. If not, skip a day or two until you're ready to go."
Prior and Miller definitely looked healthy when they threw 30 pitches in the same group as Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Scott Eyre and Will Ohman. Both are coming off seasons in which they were hampered by injuries.
"They both threw the ball well, they really did," Piniella said of Prior and Miller. "It'd be like signing a couple more free agent pitchers [if they're ready]. These kids are good. Let's keep them throwing and keep them healthy and keep them working."
