Mora out of O's lineup a day after being spiked in hand

5/22/2008 4:30 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -Baltimore third baseman Melvin Mora was out of the starting lineup Thursday night against New York, a day after being accidentally spiked in the right hand by the Yankees' Hideki Matsui.

Mora said he was available to pinch hit in the series finale against New York. He said he hoped to start Friday night at Tampa Bay.

Aubrey Huff was set to make his fourth start of the season at third base in Mora's absence. Mora was hitting .250 with five home runs and 23 RBIs.

Mora got a cut and bruise on his right ring finger when he tried to catch a throw while Matsui slid in during the third inning. Mora left the game, X-rays were negative and he did not need stitches.

``I thought I broke my finger,'' Mora said Thursday.

Mora had a small piece of tape over his injury, and also had a gash on his right middle finger.

Mora's hand bled quite a bit when he was hurt, and he tried his own remedy to stop it - plucking a few blades of grass, chewing them and putting that on the cut.

``That's what we did back home,'' he said.