Zumaya facing setback thanks to ‘Hero’

DETROIT, MI — Joel Zumaya, relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, anticipates having a setback in his return from the disabled list, with the upcoming release of Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s.

Zumaya, who has been on the disabled list since the beginning of May, missed part of the Tigers’ postseason run last year because of an injury that was later attributed to playing the original Guitar Hero game. Though at the time he promised to quit playing, the lure of rocking out to songs by Anthrax, Iron Maiden, and Twisted Sister are widely expected to be too much for Zumaya.

“I’m absolutely pumped for this game. I’ve already preordered my copy at Best Buy,” said Zumaya. “I’ll be waiting outside the doors on July 24th to pick it up.”

The right-handed pitcher has been on the disabled list with a ruptured tendon in his throwing hand. Since he is still in the midst of rehabbing, it’s not known how this will affect his playing ability.

“Obviously, the power cords won’t be much of a problem. And I’ve still got the range of motion to whammy.” said Zumaya. “I’m much more worried about the hammer-ons and pull-offs.”

Other Tiger players are in full support of Zumaya, and are excited for him to return to form.

“His dedication is unrivaled,” said Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez. “With some hard work and intense training, I know he’ll be back to expert level in no time.”

It is not known when Zumaya will be able to return to the Tigers this season, if at all. Players and fans alike are hopeful he will be able to contribute if the team makes the postseason.

“Unfortunately, we can’t set a timetable for his return at this point,” said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. “Not until we know the exact release date of Guitar Hero III.”

It’s going to be tough for this sport to sweep any nations, but it’s still pretty frickin’ cool!