THE SIDELINES : Ailment a New Blow to Flanagan

Mike Flanagan’s return to the big leagues was delayed indefinitely by a doctor’s examination showing a “general weakness” in his throwing arm.

Flanagan said he planned to begin physical therapy for his shoulder soon. But he would offer no prediction of when he might be ready to resume the big league career that began with the Baltimore Orioles in 1975 and, for the moment, ended with his release by the Toronto Blue Jays on May 8.

Flanagan, 38, won his first two starts and pitched five times for the Blue Jays before they let him go last week. But he learned of his shoulder problem only Tuesday after he was examined in Worcester, Mass., by Dr. Arthur Pappas, team orthopedist of the Boston Red Sox and Flanagan’s longtime arm specialist.

Flanagan said the decision to be examined by Pappas was “mutually agreed upon” by him, his agent and the Red Sox, the team that seemed in the lead to sign him. Flanagan said he wouldn’t necessarily have joined the Red Sox had he gotten a positive report from Pappas. He was also said to be involved in talks with the Oakland Athletics, the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. The Orioles declared themselves out of the running earlier this week.