Nipper Recovering

Al Nipper of the Boston Red Sox was lucky the injury he suffered against Texas this past weekend didn't end his career, the team physician said.

"One-half inch to the side or one-half inch down and it would have cut into a major ligament and that could have been it," Dr. Arthur Pappas said.

Nipper was under sedation and "in good spirits" Monday, said Pappas, who has performed a 75-minute operation on the pitcher's right leg at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester.

The muscle along Nipper's kneecap was injured Sunday in a collision with Texas' Larry Parrish at home plate that sent a spike into the muscle.

"What happened to him was like being operated on at home plate with a spike, and home plate isn't an operating room," Pappas said.