"With the other one I was pretty sure that if I could take a cortical dose pack that the swelling would go away fairly rapidly," he said. "Instead of getting a cortisone shot I took it orally. By the fourth day I felt phenomenal, and then you have an 11-day wait and that's pretty rugged.

"This one's going to be awhile, yes. I think the hardest part is seeing (general manager) Ed Wade and Drayton (McLane, the owner) here and knowing that they know that there's nothing I can do for the team right now. The last two outings I was throwing the ball well. I can't do anything to help us out right now. That's where guys are going to have to step up and fill in. We've got capable arms, and we're just going to have to battle."

Brian Moehler took Brocail's spot on the 25-man roster Monday when he was activated to start against the Nationals.

Brocail was scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. "When you think about it, pitchers don't worry about pulling hammies," he said.

NATIONALS 9, ASTROS 4: The Astros drained 12 innings from 11 relievers over the previous two days, losing Doug Brocail in the process. Manager Cecil Cooper went to that well again Monday, and it cost him.

Once the Astros called on the bullpen to protect a two-run lead in the sixth inning, the Nationals pounced for a come-from-behind victory.

"The last couple of days they did a terrific job," Cooper said of his bullpen, which also has closer Jose Valverde on the disabled list. "Tonight we just didn't get it done. It's pretty simple. To get them out you got to be able to throw it over the plate, and we didn't do a very good job of that."