KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -The Royals placed third baseman Alex Gordon on the 15-day disabled list Saturday because of a torn muscle in his right quadriceps.
Gordon, the second player selected in the 2005 draft, is the fourth Royals player to be put on the DL in four days. He was hitting .254 and was second on the team with 14 home runs, but also had club-high 109 strikeouts.
The Royals activated infielder Alberto Callaspo, who went on the disabled list on June 28 for undisclosed medical reasons, one day after he was arrested for driving under the influence and spent several hours in a Kansas City jail.
The switch-hitting Callaspo hit .290 in 42 games before going on the disabled list. He was 2-for-13 in three rehab games with Triple-A Omaha. Callaspo was immediately put in the starting lineup, playing second base against Detroit.
“It’s been a long time since A.C. has been up here,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said. “I know he’s in shape. He’s been playing for a little while in Omaha. The rehab assignment was supposed to last a little bit longer, but obviously the injury to Gordon made necessary the quicker move back. Hopefully he’ll add to our offense and see how he does at second base.”
Right-hander Luke Hochevar (bruised right rib cage), outfielder Mitch Maier (broken cheekbone), and left-handed reliever Ron Mahay (plantar fasciitis in his left foot) all went on the DL in the last three days.
The Royals also announced Brandon Duckworth would start Sunday, taking Hochevar’s place in the rotation.
Duckworth was 5-11 with a 4.75 ERA in 27 games, including 17 starts, with Omaha. He threw five scoreless innings Tuesday at Oklahoma in his previous start, allowing three walks, striking out five and walking none.
“He’s one of the guys that’s built up and he’s also experienced at this level,” Hillman said. “He threw the fairly ball well for five innings (Tuesday). It’s a deserved promotion as far as how he’s pitched recently. He’s been a good solider in the minor leagues, being somewhat an experienced major league pitcher and performance.”
Duckworth, a 32-year-old right-hander, was 4-10 with a 5.36 ERA in 36 games, including 11 starts, with Kansas City the past two seasons. He has also pitched in the majors with Philadelphia and Houston and has a 20-31 career record with a 5.35 ERA.
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