On the DL

Let's just say it was not a pretty weekend for the Sox, and move on.

Of course moving on means heading into tonight's series against the Texas Rangers without the Sox left or center fielders. Jacoby Ellsbury is still suffering from sore ribs after his on-field collision with Adrian Beltre. Mike Cameron passed kidney stones Friday (gross- did we really need to know that? ) but was back at the hospital last night with more pain. An announcement was made today that he has an abdominal tear that may require surgery.

All you bluehat readers need to watch me closely. Last week I wrote that both these players on the disabled list (DL). Not so, at least not then.

Like all things baseball there are specific rules about the DL; it doesn't just mean you are hurt. And again like all things baseball, understanding one rule requires knowledge of another, in this case 25-man (active) and 40-man (expanded) rosters.

The 25-man roster includes all the players who dress for every game and accompany the team on road trips- the Major League equivalent of the varsity team? The 40-man roster includes those in the 25-man roster, plus anyone on the 15-day DL, plus contracted players said to be on "optional assignment" in the minor leagues.

Sidenote: This is the set-up for the Rule 5 draft, but I am not going there today.

Back to the DL. If a player is injured, a team might place him on the 15-day DL to free up a slot on the 25-man roster. Teams must consider how long the player is expected to be out and the back-up options, because once a player is listed he cannot come back until the 15 days are complete. If teams can handle playing "short-handed", they might wait awhile before placing a player on the DL because the assignment may be made retroactively (up to 10 days). This is what could occur with Jacoby Ellsbury, if he isn't recovering and Francona gets as fed up with Bill Hall* as the rest of Red Sox Nation.

The 60-day DL seems reserved for more serious injuries/health issues. A player may be moved from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL (and have the days already spent on the 15-day DL count towards the 60 days), but once a player is put on the 60-day DL, that's it. And literally that is it, at least for the season, if a player is placed on the 60-day DL after September 1.

So Cameron was placed on the 15-day DL today. Josh Reddick will be brought up from Triple A to play centerfield for awhile.

Let's hope Ellsbury and Cameron have speedy recoveries, or at least that Reddick is some kind of good luck charm for the Sox. If I have to watch every game, it would be nice if they could win a few here and there.



*In fairness to Hall, I read somewhere that he hasn't played centerfield in years and that it is a tricky position (imagine that).