http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-astros-hampton&prov=ap&type=lgns KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP)—Astros left-hander Mike Hampton is returning to Houston to get treatment for an irregular heartbeat. Hampton was to be examined Monday by team physician Dr. Jim Muntz and will undergo a procedure that corrects his heartbeat with an electrical current. The condition was discovered during an EKG test Saturday that was part of the routine physical for Astros pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training. The Astros say the irregularity was minor and they hope to have Hampton back in camp Thursday. The 36-year-old is 141-105 with a 4.01 ERA in 14 seasons, including six with Houston from 1994-99. ********** Lock if already posted
ha! Well, we'll have a new scapegoat here in a month or so when something *else* on Yao breaks. (/ducks!)
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-astros-hampton&prov=ap&type=lgns Hampton's heartbeat fixes itself, clearing return KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP)—Mike Hampton’s irregular heartbeat has cleared on its own, and the Houston Astros left-hander is headed back to spring training earlier than expected. A test Monday in Houston showed that his heartbeat had returned to normal after a physical two days earlier revealed a minor irregularity. Instead of undergoing a procedure in which an electrical current fixes the heartbeat, Hampton passed a treadmill test Tuesday and was cleared to return to Florida. Astros team physician Dr. Jim Muntz says the episode was common and similar to one experienced by former President George H.W. Bush, his wife, Barbara, and former NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon. The 36-year-old Hampton is 141-105 with a 4.01 ERA in 14 seasons, although he has been slowed significantly by injuries the past four years.
