WASHINGTON -- Blisters on the middle finger of his pitching hand are nothing new for veteran Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill, but the latest one is worse than usual, and he doesn't know how to solve the problem.
Hill threw just two pitches against the Washington Nationals on Saturday night before he was pulled with a recurrence of the blister problem that has already put him on the disabled list twice this season.
"It's frustrating as anything for me. To go out there and put the bullpen and team in this position,'' Hill said after the Dodgers used seven relievers to piece together a 5-4 win over the Nationals and sweep a doubleheader. "Unfortunately, I don't have answers at this time for the blister issue.''
Hill said he felt something "break open'' on his second-to-last warm-up pitch, and his fingernail was broken and bloody when he left the game.
"Just continued to pitch,'' he said. "I know at some point I'd have to come out.''
Blisters have plagued the 38-year-old Hill the past several seasons. The sweeping curveball that helped him revive his career exerts pressure on his middle finger and causes the skin to tear.
"Rich is frustrated, as we all are,'' manager Dave Roberts said. "It was clearly sliced, essentially. This is as bad as I've seen it since he's been here. I don't know what the timeline is. We have to make sure it's right and can sustain itself before we get him back.''