Cubs closer Brandon Morrow injures back taking off his pants

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption MLB who's hot, who's not: Astros, Mariners soar; O's just stink SportsPulse: MLB insider Bob Nightengale details how the AL West race is heating up between Houston and Seattle, and tries to put into perspective how historically bad Baltimore is.

Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow can blame his pants – and not anything on the field – for his latest injury.

The pitcher was unavailable for Tuesday's doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a back injury he suffered as a result of taking down his pants. He then was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday morning.

"Just undressing at my house," Morrow, who has 16 saves this season, told reporters on Tuesday. "Like 3 a.m., in the closet, got my right leg off. Left one just felt like a spasm in my back. It's frustrating any time you can't get out there, especially when you can't go because of something stupid like taking your pants off.

"Getting hurt any time's frustrating, but when it's not related to throwing a baseball it's even that much more frustrating."

Morrow expects to be back soon, and added: "I'm hoping that since it's not like a trauma-induced spasm — like I wasn't throwing a pitch or lifting something or twisting — that once the muscle relaxes it should be OK."

Morrow isn't the first player to suffer a back injury in a peculiar fashion. In 2004, then-Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa suffered back spasms from sneezing.