[AZTarHeel]

June 2, 2002

Andrew Zarzour laid on his back as they prepared to roll him into the tube-like machine. Even with a blanket, he was cold.

“You sure you don’t have any metal on you anywhere?” the attendant asked. “No metal screws anywhere in your legs or arms or anything?”

“I’m positive,” Andrew said. “This thing scares the you-know-what out of me.”

In just a few minutes, Zarzour would be rolled into the MRI machine to figure out just what was wrong with his left shoulder. He had felt a little "off" all season, and yesterday he felt more pain than he had ever felt with an injury anywhere in his body.

He had pitched a couple of so-so innings against Arizona and couldn't seem to work out the tightness and kinks. He gave up a few runs but was still battling with all he could muster.

In the top of the fourth inning, trying to work through some soreness, he had lured Travis Lee into an out, then struck Mark Whiten out with a nasty cutter. But the out pitch did something to his shoulder, producing a sharp twinge that he hadn’t really experienced before. After walking Dan Wilson on four straight pitches -- all way out of the zone -- coaches took him out and the medical armada moved in. He went straight to the locker room.

He could tell there was real concern on the doctors’ faces as they moved his shoulder and arm up and down, especially when Zarzour winced several times. And now, here he was facing an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.

He couldn’t help but worry if this would sideline him for the season. Or maybe this would be the kind of injury that debilitates his career. What if he needed major surgery? What if he were done for good with baseball? What if the Dodgers won the World Series and he wasn’t around to help? What if this injury gives someone else the chance to steal his spot in the rotation and he never gets it back? All these thoughts swirled through his head as he tried to keep from shivering on the table.

“Would you like headphones and some music,” the nurse asked him. “It can get kind of loud in there.”

“Sure,” Zarzour said. “Give me something upbeat, please.”