LOS ANGELES — St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Mark DeRosa had a finger on his right hand cut up by an opponents’ cleats in the second inning of Wednesday’s Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

DeRosa said the cuts were no big deal and that his wrist didn’t feel worse for the awkward bending.

The third baseman led off the inning with a single. When rookie Colby Rasmus lined a shot to third base, DeRosa strayed off first, only to need to scramble back and dive when Dodgers’ third baseman Casey Blake snared the ball. To beat Blake’s throw across the diamond, DeRosa dove to first base and collided with first baseman James Loney. Loney’s cleats caught and cut DeRosa’s right middle finger. His righthand and arm then bent awkwardly underneath him as he reached for the bag.

DeRosa is playing with a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist.

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