Laurence Maroney was one of several Patriots players playing in Kevin Faulk's charity softball game last night at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, and told the Boston Globe's Christopher Gasper that his mystery shoulder injury was a broken bone.

Maroney broke the bone against the Jets in game two, missed the next week, and then played against San Francisco but it was clear that the shoulder was an issue. The Patriots placed him on season-ending injured reserve on Oct. 20.

While in California after the game against the 49ers, Maroney would only say he had "issues" when asked what was going on with him. He said on Saturday, as he did during a Reebok store appearance last November, that it was difficult not to be able to talk about his injury as fans and outsiders took digs at his toughness and productivity.

(My apologies, dear readers, that I was not able to attend this event myself...I was assistant coach of a track team this spring and yesterday was our last meet.)