Nomar Garciaparra was born to be hurt.

Not exactly, but close. Tony Jackson of the L.A. DAILY NEWS reports that after Garciaparra recently consulted a physical therapist, he claimed to the reporter that he was genetically predisposed to being a slow healer.

Garciaparra said the condition causes him to develop more scar tissue at the injury site than the average person, with that tissue limiting his flexibility and increasing the likelihood that he will aggravate the injury by playing on it.

“It would have been nice if I had found out a lot sooner that I had this,” said Garciaparra, who likened the problem to trying to pull a rope through a hole when the rope has several knots in it. “That’s why I keep straining different muscles.”

Once learning of the condition, Nomar seemed more upbeat about his recovery.

“I’m pretty certain that I will [be back this season],” he said.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre is optimistic, as well. Garciaparra had planned to lay off all baseball activity while receiving this round of treatment, but that plan changed Sunday.

“He is going to hit in the cage and do some baseball stuff (this week),” Torre said. “He seems to be upbeat about this. We have been without him for so long that normally I would take that approach (of assuming he isn’t coming back until he does). But I’m of the mind now that he is going to get it going again and say, ‘Let’s push through this thing.’

“I think he is at a point where he will take whatever this gives him and let it fly.”

This is all bad news for Nomar’s wife, soccer legend Mia Hamm. All this time, she just thought he had a headache.