Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio underwent neck surgery yesterday to stabilize a fracture after he was struck in the head by a line drive Friday night. The team said he was “resting comfortably’’ at a Denver hospital after surgery on the C-1 vertebrae. The rookie righthander was injured in the second inning on a liner by Washington’s Ian Desmond. The ball slammed into the right side of Nicasio’s head and bounced into foul territory. Nicasio went down and lay on the mound for several minutes as he was treated by the training staff . . . The Braves put righthander Jair Jurrjens on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained right knee. The All-Star is 0-1 in his last four starts, allowing 16 earned runs in 23 innings. He had surgery on the same knee in October to repair a torn meniscus. He is 12-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 133 2/3 innings . . . The Astros optioned lefthander J.A. Happ to Triple A Oklahoma City. Happ is 4-14 this season with a 6.26 ERA in 22 starts. He has allowed five or more runs in eight straight starts . . . The Pirates recalled righthander Brad Lincoln from Triple A Indianapolis to take a spot in their bullpen. He is 1-4 with a 6.29 ERA in 12 career games in the majors . . . Righthander Jered Weaver dropped his appeal of a six-game suspension, and the Angels ace will miss a series against the Yankees. The major league ERA leader began serving his suspension yesterday against Seattle and is now scheduled to make his next start Saturday at Toronto. Weaver received the ban for throwing a pitch over the head of Detroit’s Alex Avila a week ago at Detroit . . . Players have been issued a warning over the use of deer-antler spray, a substance administered under the tongue that includes a banned chemical known for its muscle-building and fat-cutting effects, SI.com reported. Scientists found insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1, in the velvet of immature deer antlers and players have been using it as an alternative to steroids.