KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Nine days into Spring Training, the Astros can still consider themselves relatively lucky in the injury department. But the club has experienced a few problems -- a rapidly-spreading flu bug and a minor setback for one veteran outfielder.

X-rays revealed Darin Erstad has a small fracture under his right eye, which he suffered after a ball took an awkward hop and hit him on the cheek during outfield drills on Sunday.

Erstad has been cleared to resume all baseball activities but will be held out of Tuesday's intrasquad game. He will also be kept from lifting weights for a few days.

"I've been hit in the face before, no big deal," said Erstad, who didn't feel any pain until going to blow his nose on Sunday night. "I said, 'Uh, I better check this out.'"

On the flu front, Brandon Backe is back in camp after a miserable day and a half. The pitcher estimated that he had lost "roughly 10 pounds in the last 35 hours." That might be a slight exaggeration, but the right-hander definitely looked gaunt when he arrived at the clubhouse on Monday morning.

"I think it was food poisoning," Backe said.

But it could've been the same flu bug that has traveled around the clubhouse. Geoff Blum had it, as did Edwin Maysonet.

"I've never had food poisoning before," Backe said. "They said there's been a bug going around. I don't know. I think it could be either or."

Backe planned to take it easy Monday. If he's up to it, he'll throw a bullpen session Tuesday. For now, he's going to work on simply regaining his appetite.

"I just ate a third of an omelette, and that's the first thing I've had in the last 40 hours," he said. "I feel a whole lot better now, but I thought I was going to die that one night."

Maysonet, who also missed time with the flu, was back in camp on Monday as well.