Blister issues blamed on balls

Dodgers lefty Hill doesn’t ‘think it is by coincidence’.

It has been a tough year for major league baseballs.

Not only have they been accused of being juiced, but now they’re being fingered as the cause of a rash of blister problems among pitchers. Cubs starter Jake Arrieta has been one of the victims, with blisters on his right thumb in the first half that he has treated with Permabond, a rubbery substance to protect the skin, after every start.

“Just to prevent it from reopening,” Arrieta said. “And it has worked really well. I know there has been a lot of commenting about the balls creating a lot more blister issues around the league. I’ve never had this many issues with it before, but who knows? I’ll stay on top of it, keep using that little film. If that’s what I have to do to prevent that, to keep it from happening, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Arrieta wouldn’t go so far as to say the balls have caused the blister issues, but others have wondered about them as well. Dodgers left-hander Rich

Hill has gone on the disabled list with blister issues the past two years and mentioned the Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman and the Giants’ Johnny

Cueto as others who have developed them lately.

“There are other guys who have gone unmentioned that have been dealing with them as well, so it’s starting to become kind of an epidemic,” Hill said. “I don’t think it is by coincidence. I never had blisters before 2015.”

‘Freeze’ burn

The Diamondbacks poked fun at Atlanta in-game entertainment sprinter The Freeze, trotting out a runner dressed in a body suit that was inflated to make him look overweight. The Arizona version of The Freeze lost a race against the Diamondbacks Legends mascots.

Some undertaking

Astros players staged a mock funeral recently for the glove of 40-year-old DH

Carlos Beltran, who hadn’t played in the field in two months.

Such events are becoming a habit in Houston. The Astros buried the AL West about a month and half ago.

Going, going, gone

Ex-pitcher Livan Hernandez has filed for bankruptcy, claiming he has less than $50,000 to show for the $53 million he earned in a 17-year career.

Alert statisticians immediately credited him with a blown savings.

Costly meal

It seems only fitting that the Red Sox handed corpulent third baseman Pablo

Sandoval a $90 million contract, then had to eat nearly half of it.

Trainer’s room

Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco, on the 10-day DL (strained left hamstring), tested his leg with some straightaway running and was going to do some riding on the stationary bike with the hopes he can hit in the cage soon. Manager

Clint Hurdle said he did witness Polanco scurry across a street to avoid being hit by a car, then acknowledged it wasn’t that close a call.