Universal constants - the sun will rise, the sun will set, and Pedro will get injured.

For the last few weeks of this column, we have mostly been looking at trades and players designated for assignment. We will still be primarily looking at those, but since it was a relatively light week in that department, there will be a slightly bigger focus on injuries, and players placed on the disabled list.

After a rocky first two starts, the Florida Marlins sent Rick Vanden Hurk to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. This move is a little surprising, if only because the Marlins are not a contender this year, and they could probably afford to let Vanden Hurk take his lumps at the major league level. Still, the Marlins likely figured that their bullpen could not take any more starts from Vanden Hurk (5 1/3 innings in two starts). Vanden Hurk will only be 23 next month, and there is some strikeout potential there, but he will need to seriously cut down on his walks if he intends on being an effective major league pitcher. Keep an eye on him in keeper leagues, but do not expect much of a contribution from him until 2009, at the earliest.

In other Marlins news, Florida went out and acquired former Marlin Wes Helms from the Phillies for a player to be named later. Helms performed quite well in 2006 for Florida, putting together a 240 at-bat stretch where he batted .329 (by far his finest major league performance), but reverted back to his old self last year in Philadelphia. With Jorge Cantu the only real option at third base for Florida, Helms may find himself with a steady stream of at bats before too long. You can pick him up in deep NL-Only leagues for some power, but do not expect much help in the average department.

In the return of an old favorite, the Kansas City Royals purchased the contract of Hideo Nomo from the Advanced Rookie League. Nomo pitched only three innings last year in the International League, and last pitched in the majors in 2005 for the Devil Rays with disastrous results. Avoid at all costs

Since it was a fairly light week on the acquisition/demotion side, I will now take a brief look at some of the more notable injuries from the week:

It was a given that Pedro Martinez would get hurt at some point this season, but hardly anybody expected it to be in his first start of the season. Fortunately for Mets fans and Martinez owners, the Mets are calling it a "mild hamstring strain" and he is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Of course, Martinez has been pitching with decreased velocity for years, but he is crafty enough to get the job done, even in the mid-to-high 80s. He should be back by late May or early June, and makes a solid No. 3 starter on most fantasy teams, with upside as a #2. Local boy done good Nelson Figueroa is expected to fill his spot in the rotation, at least temporarily, but I would not be surprised to see Claudio Vargas in a Mets uniform soon.

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed Jack Wilson on the disabled list with a strained left calf, the first time that he has been on the disabled list in his career. Wilson is nothing special from a fantasy perspective, but he generally will not kill you, as he has only batted below .250 in his rookie season, and has hit no less than eight home runs in a season since 2002. He will be back in a few weeks. In his absence, either Brian Bixler or Luis Rivas is likely to get the starts at short. Neither is worthy fantasy options at this time.

The first two closers bit the dust this week as Chad Cordero of the Nationals and J.J. Putz of the Mariners were placed on the disabled list. Cordero is currently suffering from shoulder tendonitis, but the Nationals do not expect him to miss much time. The move seemed largely designed at freeing up a roster spot. Cordero is still a worthy mixed league closer option, although in his absence Jon Rauch will close out any Nationals victories. Be warned with Cordero, for the Nationals may ultimately trade him to another team, where he would be in a setup role.

Putz, on the other hand, has a condition known as "costochronditis," which apparently means that cartilage has attached to the ribs. At this point, it remains unclear how long Putz will be out, but of course, that is no reason to cut him, as his last two seasons have been truly dominant. In the interim, it looks like Mark Lowe will get the closing opportunities. It is hard to know what to expect from Lowe right now, but as long as he gets the chances, he has to be worth picking up for now.

Finally, in the most shocking injury of the week, even more shocking than Pedro Martinez, Mike Hampton was placed on the disabled list The latest injury was a strained pectoral muscle. Hampton has not pitched since 2005, when he threw 69 innings for the Braves. At this point in his career, he is nothing more than a fifth starter, and until he actually proves he can remain healthy, there is little reason to roster him.

That is all for this week. Tune in next, same bat time, same bat channel, for the latest installment of important transactions you need to know about.