A.J. Burnett's damaged finger nail is limiting his pitch selection this spring:

But Arnsberg revealed yesterday that Burnett has not yet been able to throw a single curve because of a torn nail on his right index finger. According to Arnsberg, Burnett broke the nail by getting it caught in a closing car door prior to arriving in Florida.

It's not a gruesome injury, only a few millimetres missing off the top. But it makes all the difference to Burnett's spike curve, which requires him to dig the tip of his finger into the seam of the ball.

"It makes it pretty tough to get to that pitch. It's pretty tender," Arnsberg said.

It will be two weeks before the nail grows back. Burnett must be a frustrating pitcher for the Blue Jays. When he pitches, he's fine, but he just hasn't stayed healthy in his first two seasons for the team.

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