LOS ANGELES -- Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis left Sunday afternoon's 6-4 loss to the Dodgers after three innings because of the recurrence of a "hot spot" -- which he described as fluid beneath the callous -- on his right middle finger.
"It's really painful," said Bettis, who struck out two, and gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. "Every time I try to get to extension with every pitch, it doesn't feel like I can get there. It was a little bit of a mental block, trying to battle through that thing.
"I felt like it got to a point where I really needed to say something. It's pretty frustrating."
There was no word on whether the issue would cost Bettis a start. The club is off Thursday, and theoretically could delay Bettis' next start to give his finger time to heal.
This is not the first time Bettis has had this issue. It's the same ailment that arose the last time Bettis pitched at Dodger Stadium, in a no-decision in the Rockies' 10-7 loss on June 3. Bettis went 5 2/3 innings, and gave up five runs on seven hits. That "hot spot" never developed into a full blister, though, and Bettis never missed a start.
But Bettis isn't sure what the next move is this time, other than trying to remove the fluid without removing the callous.
The previous game against the Dodgers was the second of his five-game stretch of giving up at least five earned runs in each appearance. The issue was kept quiet but he said the problem affected "probably four or five" starts.
The finger was fine in his last start, Tuesday against the Giants, as Bettis held the Giants to two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings of a no-decision in the Rockies' 3-2 loss.
On Sunday, Bettis opened by walking the first two hitters, but escaped with just one run scoring on a groundout. In the third, he gave up Matt Kemp's RBI double, which scored Player Page for Max Muncy from first base. Bettis had 58 pitches before being replaced by lefty Chris Rusin.