[EmpireWF]

Nationals reliever Luis Ayala was injured last week in an hunting accident (no, not exactly like our Vice President). He was "accidentally hit in the upper left forearm by a shotgun pellet during a holiday hunting trip."

"Longo said Ayala and some friends were hunting Dec. 26 in the right-hander's home town of Los Mochis, Mexico. The accident, according to Longo, occurred when the gun of one of Ayala's companions went off as the group was taking a break.

Ayala, who turns 30 next week, notified the Nationals and then traveled to Los Angeles to see noted orthopedist Lewis Yocum, who performed ligament replacement surgery on Ayala in 2006. Yocum and Steven Shin, an upper extremity specialist, elected to leave the pellet in Ayala's arm. "


washingtonpost.com