A bad taco?

The latest episode in the misadventures of Cub righthander Mark Prior includes a bout with food poisoning. As always, the CBA is all over this story. Here's what the army has to say:

Chuck at Ivy Chat:

No timetable? From food poisoning? Sounds like someone is covering for something else. Notice in the Kiley piece no one states that the food poisoning is the direct reason for the delay.

If you take 4 to 6 weeks from the start of mound throwing to a return to the majors, the earliest one could expect him is July.

What's becoming more and more obvious is that Mark Prior's career may be in jeopardy, and the reason could be his fall 2003 pitching.

Maddog at The Chicago National League Ballclub:

Most bouts of food poisoning are cured with a day or two of vomiting and flu-like symptoms. Since this is Mark Prior, and he is a big-time pussy, we can probably assume even if it’s a minor case of food poisoning that he’ll be vomiting for 6 weeks. When he’s done he’ll look like the guy we’re going to face tonight, Juan Cruz.

The Dude from a diary at Bleed Cubbie Blue:

Wow. If this wasn't the Cubs, I wouldn't believe it.

"Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Prior is battling food poisoning that he picked up here in Arizona. Rothschild added that Prior will resume his throwing program once he is able, but no one can be certain right now when that might be and how long it will take him to feel at full strength again."

I....have no words anymore..

The Daily newspapers had the story:

Mike Kiley in the Chicago Sun-Times:

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Prior is battling food poisoning that he picked up here in Arizona. Rothschild added that Prior will resume his throwing program once he is able, but no one can be certain right now when that might be and how long it will take him to feel at full strength again.

Prior also had to deal last December and January with a respiratory ailment that he contracted at his San Diego home. That delayed his preparations going into spring training, where he unexpectedly suffered a shoulder strain in early March while throwing in the bullpen.

Bruce Miles in The Daily Herald:

Prior came down Monday with a nasty case of food poisoning, which required intravenous treatments.

Scooped? And there was this is the word's greatest newspaper the Chicago Tribune:

Mark Prior is expected to return a few weeks after Wood, though the Cubs have not given a timetable.

Nice work Tribsters!

I have no idea what's going on with Mark Prior. Like most of you I am pretty sick of the whole thing. The thought crossed my mind, maybe this food poisoning deal was a calculated ploy to keep Prior out of the clubhouse, away from the questions he would have been bombarded by from the beat writers. Or maybe as Maddog states above Prior's just a "big-time pussy".