MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tampa Bay placed centre fielder Jose Siri on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday because of a fractured right hand.
Second on the team with 25 home runs, Siri was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning of Monday’s game against Minnesota. He stayed in to run but came out after the half-inning.
“It’s a big loss,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Jose brings a lot of really good defense in center field, lines us up a little bit better, and offensively the things with the power we’ll find a way to work around that.”
Cash said Siri had X-rays and returned to Florida for a more detailed examination.
“Pretty consistent with what we saw yesterday,” Cash said. “Pretty clean break. Hopefully it kind of stays in place.”
Cash had expressed optimism Monday for a short stint.
“Maybe three weeks of shutdown and it heals up quickly, but we won’t know anything for a while,” he said.
Siri is hitting .222 with 56 RBIs. He tried to put an optimistic spin on the situation after Monday’s game, saying through an interpreter, “I’m going to do my work. I’m going to do my cold baths, my hot baths. I’m going to keep putting ice on it, whatever I’ve got to do.”
Infielder Curtis Mead was recalled from Triple-A Durham.
“He’ll play third against lefties the bulk of the time, maybe a get a couple starts here and there against righties, then come off the bench with left-handed relivers,” Cash said.
Optioned to Durham on Aug. 24, Mead hit .304 in 15 games with the Bulls, including six home runs, five doubles and 17 RBIs.