ESPN MLB

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Phillies closer Billy Wagner will be sidelined for a week with an inflamed finger that caused pain during a workout Tuesday.

Wagner, acquired from Houston during the offseason, reported soreness in his left hand after his 40-pitch session.

An MRI exam Tuesday showed no structural damage to the middle finger of his throwing hand. Wagner was prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine and fitted with a splint.

"I'm just trying to be cautious," he said. "When I first came to camp, I told the trainer about it, and we wanted to keep an eye on it. Today it didn't feel good at all, and it looked like it started to swell a little bit."

Wagner, who had 44 saves last season, came to the Phillies in a trade that sent Brandon Duckworth, Taylor Buchholz and Ezequiel Astacio to the Astros.

Philadelphia had an NL-high 18 blown saves last year, while Wagner had just three.

"It's good timing," Wagner said. "You have to look at the overall well-being of the team. We have guys like (Tim) Worrell and (Rheal) Cormier in the bullpen to pick me up. If Billy Wagner is out, it's not the end of the season."

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press