Oakland starting pitcher and novice do-it-yourselfer Eric Backhaus will miss up to a week of action after suffering a thumb contusion while attempting to install a bathroom fixture. “I never was much of a handyman,” joked Backhaus. “I’m not sure what I was thinking.” According to Backhaus, he was preparing to install a new sink in his guest bathroom when the fixture slipped and mashed his right thumb. “Yeah, it was probably even more painful than it sounds. I was afraid my entire hand was broken for a moment. Luckily, the x-rays came back negative and I should be back in about a week.”