St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner is expected to miss five to six weeks after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair the broken little finger on his throwing hand.
George Paletta, who is also the team physician for baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals, said two pins were placed into the broken bone during the 35-minute procedure, as expected. Paletta said doctors will remove the pins in three weeks and Warner will then begin physical therapy.
Warner said Monday he planned to return to the field as soon as the pins were removed, or in “three weeks and a day.”
But Paletta said five to six weeks was a more realistic timetable, and even that was tentative depending on healing.
Doctors originally thought Warner wouldn’t need surgery after looking at X-rays Sunday, which showed the bone’s fractured pieces aligned. X-rays taken Monday showed the fractured pieces had moved apart, Paletta said.
Warner broke his finger Sunday in the Rams’ 54-34 loss to Kansas City.
He was replaced by backup Trent Green, who was the Rams’ starter last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury in an exhibition game against San Diego. Warner replaced him, and led the Rams to the Super Bowl title.
– The Pittsburgh Steelers are changing fullbacks again. Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala, who became the starting fullback only last week after Jon Witman broke a leg, learned he will be out at least a month with a fractured left foot. The new starter alongside Jerome Bettis is Dan Kreider, an undrafted rookie from New Hampshire who was on the practice squad 10 days ago.
