ATHLETICS
Cespedes goes on DL
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland Athletics left fielder Yoenis Cespedes was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained muscle in his left hand after he landed awkwardly in a tumbling slide Friday night.
Cespedes had a magnetic resonance imaging Saturday morning before the middle game of a weekend series against Detroit. It showed no structural damage, and Manager Bob Melvin says no surgery will be needed. He hopes Cespedes will return after the minimum time on the DL.
Cespedes strained a different muscle in the same hand last year. He was batting .200 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI playing in the first 11 games of the season. After beginning the year 3 for 25 (.120), Cespedes hit 5 for 15 (.333) over his last four games. But he was 0 for 2 against the Tigers on Friday after getting a hit in each of his eight games facing Detroit last season.
Last season as a rookie, the Cuban defector batted .292 with 23 home runs and 82 RBI in 129 games, finishing runner-up to the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout for AL Rookie of the Year. He also hit 25 doubles and 5 triples while striking out 102 times.
At various points during the season, he had to deal with an injured left hamstring, a troublesome left hand that put him on the disabled list and a bone bruise in his right foot in the final weeks.
This time, Cespedes injured his hand trying to steal second base in the eighth inning of a 4-3, 12-inning victory. Melvin indicated Cespedes either slipped or caught the back of his spike as he was beginning his slide and tumbled over the base, landing on his hand.
ANGELS Aybar, Jepsen go on DL
ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Los Angeles Angels have placed right-handed reliever Kevin Jepsen and shortstop Erick Aybar on the 15-day disabled list.
The move with Aybar is retroactive to April 10. He has missed the past four games because of a bruised left heel.
Jepsen is sidelined because of a strained triceps. He last pitched Thursday. CUBS Closer put on DL
CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs have put closer Kyuji Fujikawa on the 15-daydisabled list with a strained right forearm.
Shawn Camp and James Russell are possible closers for the Cubs (4-6). Manager Dale Sveum says he won’t use Carlos Marmol, who has a 12.27 ERA.
Fujikawa (1-0, 12.46 ERA) says he felt discomfort in his forearm the last couple of days, but considers it a short-term injury.
BLUE JAYS Reyes goes on 15-day DL
TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays have placed star shortstop Jose Reyes on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained ankle.
The move was announced Saturday, a day after Reyes twisted his left ankle with an awkward slide into second base in the Blue Jays’ 8-4 victory over Kansas City. The results of a magnetic resonance imaging were not immediately released but the 29-year-old speedster is expected to be out for several weeks.
The four-time All-Star was carted off the field after the injury in the sixth inning.
Reyes was hitting .395, with a home run, 5 RBI and 5 steals in 10 games.
PIRATES Rodriguez to miss start
PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Wandy Rodriguez said he will miss his scheduled start today against Cincinnati because of a strained left hamstring.
“I can throw on it, I can walk on it and I can run on it but the one thing I can’t do yet is push off of it when I try to pitch,” Rodriguez said Saturday. “It’s getting a lot better and I don’t think I’ll miss any more starts.”
Rodriguez was injured Monday and was forced to leave his start at Arizona in the third inning. Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle said it is “improbable” that Rodriguez will be placed on the disabled list.
- The Associated Press DIAMONDBACKS Kubel placed on DL
PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed outfielder Jason Kubel on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps.
Kubel says he felt a problem in his leg in the final game of a series in Milwaukee on Wednesday. He was out of the lineup Friday but made a pinch-hit appearance, singling in the eighth inning in a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sports, Pages 29 on 04/14/2013