OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh barely let a reporter finish asking his question about Dennis Pitta before venting his frustration on the tight end's fractured finger.

"It’s absurd, to be honest with you, that it even happened," Harbaugh said. "It’s just ridiculous and sad, and I’m disappointed about it."

Pitta hurt a finger on his right hand during a fight with rookie linebacker Kamalei Correa on Aug. 2, when Pitta became angered by some hits after the whistle. The finger had been the source of ribbing -- quarterback Joe Flacco made fun of Pitta after the practice by calling it a "little baby injury" -- because it was originally diagnosed as a sprain.

Now that a magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a fracture, no one is laughing, particularly Harbaugh. Pitta has been ruled out of practice this week and will miss the team's third preseason game Saturday.

"They're afraid that if gets hit again, they might have to put a screw in," Harbaugh said. "So, it’s just that kind of a fracture. We want to get him out running, get him in the [walkthroughs]. I want to get him time with Joe, but he can’t really catch right now, and he definitely can’t get his finger banged up."

Pitta, 31, has only played seven games in the past three seasons. He fractured his hip in 2013 and 2014.

It was tough for Harbaugh to take any positives from Pitta's latest injury.

"As it was pointed out to me this morning as I was moaning in self pity about the Dennis Pitta situation, maybe things happen for a reason and there’s another injury he hasn’t incurred because of that," Harbaugh said.

Without Pitta, the Ravens will rely heavily on Benjamin Watson and Crockett Gillmore. The Ravens' other options are either injured (Maxx Williams), suspended (Nick Boyle and Darren Waller) or inexperienced (Daniel Brown).

Before Pitta fractured his finger, he was having a very good training camp. Pitta was running and catching the ball so well that he talked about wanting to be "the lead guy" again.

"We have to get him and Joe timed up," Harbaugh said. "That was really coming early on and it was exciting to see. We need to get him back as soon as we can. But it’s not going to be this week. The bone has to heal before they can put him out there."