Mike Hampton's comeback took a major blow. And, no, it has nothing to do with his reconstructed elbow.

The Atlanta Braves left-hander injured his left side in batting practice and won't be ready for the start of the regular season.

Hampton, starting the seventh season of a $121 million, eight-year contract, will miss the rest of spring training and could be out as long as two months. The Braves had been counting on him to bolster a rotation that includes John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and Chuck James.

Hampton was taking batting practice Wednesday at the Braves' complex in Kissimmee, Fla., while the team was playing the Detroit Tigers in nearby Lakeland. He fell to the ground in pain after a swing.

Phillies

John Vukovich, the longest-serving coach in club history and a member of their only World Series championship team, died yesterday. He was 59. Vukovich, who had been suffering from complications caused by an inoperable brain tumor, died in a Philadelphia-area hospital.

Rangers

Sammy Sosa went 2 for 3 for Texas in a 7-6 win against the Athletics in Phoenix, raising his average this spring to .467.

Elsewhere

Former major league pitcher Darren Holmes joined the list of athletes linked to a nationwide steroids investigation. SI.com reported that Holmes received somatropin, a form of HGH, and testosterone from Palm Beach Rejuvenation in October 2003. That Florida firm has been implicated in a steroids investigation run by Albany County (N.Y.) District Attorney P. David Soares. ... Former relief pitcher Ricardo Jordan was sentenced to seven years in prison in West Palm Beach after pleading guilty to charges of selling cocaine and marijuana. He was also ordered to pay fines totaling $150,000.