Times wires
Friday, May 20, 2011
CLEVELAND — The Indians put DH Travis Hafner on the DL with a strained side muscle Friday. This week, CF Grady Sizemore went on the DL with a bruised right knee.
Manager Manny Acta said an MRI exam taken on Hafner showed "issues" with his right oblique and he will be out for at least three weeks.
Hafner, hitting .345 with five homers and 22 RBIs, was hurt taking a swing during batting practice Wednesday in Chicago.
"It's a 6-foot-3, 240-pound blow," Acta said. "Obviously, he's a big part of our lineup, and he's been swinging the bat so good from Day 1. But you know what? We have to deal with it. Every team is dealing with some type of injury, and it's an opportunity for somebody to step up."
Acta said filling out his lineup card without Hafner and Sizemore (hitting .282 with six homers) is challenging. He added he will rotate Shelley Duncan and Travis Buck at DH.
"It's kind of tough to substitute those two guys the way they were swinging the bat," he said.
A's: RH starters Brandon McCarthy and Tyson Ross went on the DL. McCarthy has a stress reaction in his throwing shoulder that has sidelined him in the past. Ross left Thursday's game with a strained left side after throwing seven pitches. Ross took the spot in the rotation vacated by LHP Dallas Braden, who had season-ending shoulder surgery this week.
Blue Jays: RHP Jesse Litsch, a graduate of St. Petersburg's Dixie Hollins High, went on the DL with an impingement (rotator cuff pain) in his right shoulder.
Dodgers: MLB is looking into photos of RF Andre Ethier making an obscene gesture during batting practice before Monday's home game. Ethier said Thursday that he was frustrated with repeated camera clicks from one photographer and apologized, calling it a "dumb incident." … SS Rafael Furcal will have his knee examined today and could return Monday. He has been out with a broken thumb since April 11 and banged his knee while sliding during a rehab game Tuesday.
Nationals: GM Mike Rizzo said he is not under investigation for confronting umpires after Thursday's 1-0 loss to the Mets. The Nationals were upset after Jayson Werth was ruled out at first in the ninth. Replays showed he was safe, and after the game, manager Jim Riggleman, C Ivan Rodriguez and third-base coach Bo Porter hollered at the umpires as they left the field. Rizzo spoke to the umpires under the stands. He said he spoke to Joe Torre, MLB's vice president of operations, but declined to divulge details of the conversation. Torre said only he expects to have a resolution "in the next few days."
Phillies: Ex-Pasco High star OF Domonic Brown was called up from Triple A. Brown, 23, started the season on the DL after breaking his right hand in spring training. He hit .341 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 11 games for Lehigh Valley. Brown replaces CF Shane Victorino, who went on the DL with a hamstring injury after missing four games.
Red Sox: RH reliever Dan Wheeler was activated after being out since May 5 with a strained left calf.
Rockies: 1B Todd Helton (stiff back) and LF Carlos Gonzalez (groin) sat. Manager Jim Tracy said both are fine but he wanted to give them an extra day of rest.