IN BRIEF : Fisk Sidelined With Broken Hand

Chicago White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk has again fractured his right hand and could miss as many as 10 weeks--the same length of time he was sidelined after breaking the same hand last season, the team said today.

Fisk was placed on the 15-day disabled list after Tuesday’s game in Seattle. But the 41-year-old catcher said he believes that the injury actually dates back to a March 11 spring training contest, when he singled on a tight pitch from Toronto’s Dave Stieb. The injury was then thought to be a jammed index finger, and Fisk didn’t take batting practice for nearly two weeks.

Trainer Herm Schneider said the hand may be put in a cast, or that pins may be used to help fuse the fracture. The break is in the top portion of the hand, adjacent to the healed break that caused Fisk to miss 70 games in 1988.

Catcher Matt Merullo, whose contract was purchased from Vancouver, will take Fisk’s spot on the roster.