Indians place Kipnis on DL with strained hamstring
CLEVELAND (AP) Jason Kipnis is limping into the All-Star break.
Cleveland's starting second baseman, who began the season on the 10-day disabled list with a sore right shoulder, was placed on the DL again Sunday with a strained right hamstring.
Kipnis got hurt during Saturday night's win over Detroit when he tried to beat out a grounder in the third inning. He pulled up just as he reached the bag and grabbed the back of his leg. He was replaced by Erik Gonzalez, who started for him Sunday night.
The injury isn't believed to be serious, but it's another setback for the struggling Kipnis, who has also been slowed by a stiff neck this season.
''How long is it going to be? Well, at least 10 days,'' said acting Indians manager Brad Mills, who has been filling while Terry Francona recovers from a heart procedure. ''And we'll see. It'll probably, maybe be a little worse than a mild hamstring, but sometimes those take a little time, longer than the 10 days if necessary. We'll see how it progresses and so forth as we move forward.''
Kipnis is batting just .232 with eight homers and 26 RBIs in 66 games. Last season, he hit .275 with 23 homers and 82 RBIs and was instrumental in the Indians winning the AL pennant and making the World Series for the first time in 19 years.
Despite his injuries, Kipnis has continued to play and he was just starting to emerge from a prolonged slump.
''It's really tough because we're in a situation where he was really starting to swing the bat well,'' Mills said. ''Now, he was able to start swinging the bat, feeling good about himself and running well and getting the extra base hits, and then this happens. We're really looking forward to an opportunity for him to continue working hard through this period, that he's able to come back and be ready as soon as possible.''
The Indians recalled infielder Giovanny Urshela before Sunday night's game against the Tigers. He's spent most of the season with Triple-A Columbus, where he batted .266 with six homers and 34 RBIs in 76 games.
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