BEREA (92.3 The Fan) - Cleveland Browns left guard Jason Pinkston has been hospitalized with a blood clot.

Coach Pat Shurmur made the announcement Friday afternoon following practice but provided no other details.

“Doctors determined, we found this week that he has a blood clot,” Shurmur said. “He’s going to miss this week’s game. We’ll determine through the week if it’s going to be an extended period of time, but he won’t play this week. That’s why you haven’t seen him.

“He’s getting treatment and he won’t be available this week.”

Several concerned teammates visited Pinkston in the hospital or spoke to him on the phone to try and lift his spirits.

“We’re definitely concerned and our thoughts are with him,” left tackle Joe Thomas said. “Obviously, it’s a little bit scary but I guess we’re definitely going to keep in touch with him and hopefully things will be all right.”

Pinkston thanked fans for their support Friday afternoon on his Twitter account with 3 consecutive tweets.

“The news is true I’ve been hospitalized with blood clots in my lungs very thankful or medical staff did a great job of taking action and catching it at a early stage,” Pinkston tweeted. “It’s obviously clear I won’t be playing for sometime but more importantly I’m thankful to be alive.

“Thanks for everyone’s support coaches, teammates, friends fans and family have been great just a bump in the road #GoBROWNS.”

Shurmur, who visited Pinkston at the Cleveland Clinic Friday afternoon, declined to get into specifics as to if Pinkston will require any procedure or the exact location of the clot.

“We’ll just have to see,” Shurmur said. “What I’ll tell you is, he’s being treated for a blood clot. He’s going to miss this week. As we go through next week, we’ll determine if he’s going to miss an extended period of time.”

A league source told Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer that the clot was found in his lung.

Pinkston started last week against Cincinnati but became ill and was replaced by John Greco.

“Jason is a teammate and a good friend,” Greco said. “My thoughts are with him and we’re going to do everything we can to get him some wins.

“We really don’t know a lot of details but we’re friends and teammates and let him know that we’re with him.”

Greco said they noticed that Pinkston wasn’t himself of late.

“He’s definitely been struggling with something for a couple weeks, so there was obviously concern just to find out what was going on,” Greco said. “Hopefully they’ve got it under control and are able to help him start feeling better here shortly.”

Greco, who played in 15 games for Cleveland last season after the Browns acquired him in a trade from St. Louis, will start on Sunday against the Colts.

“It was nice getting out there last week and the team get a good win,” Greco said. “The focus this week is on Indianapolis. They’re a solid football team with a really good defense so we have our work cut out for us.”

Pinkston started all 16 games as a rookie in 2011. He replaced Eric Steinbach at left guard last season after Steinbach sustained to a season-ending back injury.

Feeling Better: After being sent home Thursday with flu-like symptoms, receiver Greg Little returned to practice Friday.

Little declined comment on his illness following practice while Shumrur said that he “looked good” at practice Friday.

Receivers Travis Benjamin and Mohamed Massaquoi, who are trying to return from hamstring injuries, have been limited at practice all week.

“We’ve had a different lineup at receiver pretty much every week,” Shurmur said. “We’ll just try to use the guys that are out there and available, try to get them the football and give them a chance to make plays.”

Winning The Vote: Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was voted as the Browns’ new NFLPA representative on Thursday.

Jackson, who was honored to voted to the position by his teammates, has an interest in the business side of football.

“I’ve always been involved, just learning about the business and wanting to know the ins and outs of what goes on in the National Football League,” Jackson said. “I took a liking to the other side of it – player benefits, player safety so it was a great honor to be elected from my teammates.

“It was something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile and to actually get a chance to do it, it’s exciting.”

Jackson, who was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2006 draft, has become the leader on the Browns’ defense.

“It’s simple, I just come to work every day and do what I have to do,” Jackson said. “I’ve been doing it from my rookie year just learning from older guys that I had a chance to learn from so now I’m in a different role. I’m in that role where I can teach young guys a thing or two about the league and obviously the other side – the business side of it too.”

Playing It Safe: Safety T.J. Ward said that he will continue to wear a cast on his right hand for a few more weeks.

“It’s getting better,” Ward said.

Ward said he’s playing it safe until he gets the all clear from the medical staff to play without it.

“For protective reasons I’ll probably have it on for awhile,” Ward said. “At least until it’s completely healed and maybe a little bit after that I’ll still have it but it’s coming along so that’s good just knowing that it is healing.”

Although he continues to sport the cast which has made tackling difficult, Ward says as long as he’s on the field he should be able to make plays.

“I’m out there, so I’m able,” Ward said. “Anytime you step on the field you can’t make any excuses so I have a cast on, it is what it is and I’m just going to go all out every time I go out there.”

Injury Report: Out – LG Jason Pinkston (illness), LB Scott Fujita (shoulder/neck) and CB Dimitri Patterson (ankle).

Questionable: WRs , Travis Benjamin and Mohamed Massaquoi (hamstring), S Tashaun Gipson (knee), RB Trent Richardson (chest/rib) and DT Ahtyba Rubin (calf)

Probable – WRs Greg Little (illness) and Josh Gordon (knee), S Ray Ventrone (hand/calf), S T.J. Ward (hand), LB Tank Carder (foot), LS Christian Yount (shoulder), DE Frostee Rucker (shoulder) and QB Brandon Weeden (foot).

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