Arroyo limited on and off the field by carpal tunnel flare-up

Not lately. Holding a pick between his thumb and index finger aggravates the problem. For now, the music is on hold, something that is starting to exasperate him.

"I can't play at all," he said, dropping his head and his tone of voice. "That's it. It drives me crazy."

Besides putting the guitar away and letting someone else pay his bills, Arroyo has been wearing a brace when he's away from the field as a reminder to take it easy with the hand. He's taking anti-inflammatory drugs as well, hoping that makes the problem subside.

Most likely, he's just going to have to deal with the problem, which causes more weakness than pain.

"Nothing seemed to help last year except a little bit of rest," he said. "I'm not going to miss any starts. I've got four days in-between them each time.

"I'm trying to get it out of there. It's a weird feeling."