Balfour Hurts Rib, "Horsing Around"

For any female readers out there, the simple explanation is that it's part of being a guy.

At least that's the only excuse Tampa Bay pitcher Grant Balfour can hope to use for the intercostal (rib area) strain he suffered before Friday's game while "horsing around" with pitching coach Jim Hickey.

"It's obviously very frustrating and obviously very avoidable now that you look back on it in retrospect," Friedman said. "Both guys were kidding around; it's what happens in a major league clubhouse all the time.

Every guy around the world is guilty of "horsing around" at some point in their life, but as is the case with many freak injuries featured on this site, one would hope a professional athlete in peak physical condition would be immune to sustaining injuries in situations like this.

Tampa responded to the loss of Balfour, a valuable piece of their bullpen, by acquiring Chad Qualls from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"Just kind of a freaky thing, just messing around, pitching coach and the pitcher that know each other well doing some freakish thing, just interacting … something that guys do every day and nothing ever happens. It happened," Maddon said. "It's just a freaky, goofy thing

Balfour is expected to miss four-to-six weeks of action.

Throw Hits Rays Outfielder In The Worst Possible Spot

It's every man's worst nightmare: getting hit in the family jewels. It can happen when you least expect it, and the pain is excruciating. Rays outfielder Carl Crawford got hit square in the groin, and unfortunately was not wearing a cup.

"[Carl's] as good as can be expected. All of us males can understand that," Maddon said.

Last night, Crawford was leading off first when Jake Arrieta attempted to pick him off. Crawford tried to dash back but the ball was just a little out of first baseman Ty Wigginton's reach. The result was not pretty.

You can watch the video here.

Crawford suffered a testicular contusion, which sounds horrible. He says he has no plans to begin wearing protection for his groin as it would hinder his movements and ability to steal (Crawford is one of MLB's fastest players). Here's hoping he reconsiders.

Dioner Navarro...Think Fast!!!

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Dioner Navarro was sidelined last month due to a stiff neck caused by...whiplash. Navarro had dropped his family off at the airport on June 9th and was trying to find them after parking his car. When he stepped off an elevator he looked right, then left, and felt a pop in his neck.

"When I looked to the left, my neck popped," Navarro said. "And it's been like that for four days. It's unbelievable. I'm a magnet for the freak stuff."

It's true, Navarro has had his share of bad luck. He was hit in the throat by a ball in 2007 and slashed his hand open on mesh netting when he slipped on dugout steps in 2008.

Navarro, who's struggling mightily this year, appears to be one of the unfortunate souls who is truly cursed. He's the type of person who would trip and fall over a black cat and break a mirror while trying to maneuever something under a ladder.

He's the type of person cartoons are made about, eh Wile E?