I've had several polyester balls crack/shatter/splinter around the fingers; they seem particularly fragile in that area. One was only a couple of months old; my driller plugged both fingers and a 1/2" buffer around them; filled it and redrilled it. It never cracked thereafter, because, I believe, plug material is urethane, a much more durable material.
So you can plug the finger or thumb, see if your driller can match the colors to your satisfaction or buy a Storm Polar Ice in pearl or solid. They're highly polished urethane balls with a simple pancake core. They should be more durable than most polyester balls.