Just as his left elbow was showing signs of improvement, Mike Hampton has endured an injury to his left side that will definitely erase his availability for the start of the regular season. While taking his third and final round of batting practice at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon, Hampton took a swing and fell to the ground in pain. It's still unknown whether he suffered a strained left oblique or broken rib. With either injury, Hampton would likely be sidelined through at least the end of April and possibly longer. The southpaw was to be further evaluated by medical personnel on Thursday morning.