The reaction to the broken bone in Paul DeJong’s left little finger is similar to the diagnosis of his injury.
The more you examine it, the more it hurts.
What a difference one X-ray makes.
On Thursday evening, teammates razzed the second-year shortstop after he attempted to shake off a hit-by-pitch to remain in Busch Stadium’s batter’s box. An 85 mph slider had nicked DeJong near the knob of his bat, but the ball’s trajectory after that suggested a foul tip, not a season-altering injury. DeJong grudgingly walked to first base, returned to the field and even ripped a line-drive out during his final at-bat.