Major League Baseball

White Sox put C Pierzynski on 15-day DL

Published Aug. 16, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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The Chicago White Sox placed catcher A.J. Pierzynski on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday because of a fractured left wrist.

Pierzynski was hit by a pitch in the third inning Friday night and removed himself from the game after the fourth.

Initial X-rays were negative, but a follow up MRI on Monday showed a hairline fracture, so the 34-year-old wore a brace on his left wrist Tuesday and told reporters he expects a cast to be put on within the next 24 hours to keep it immobilized and speed up the healing process.

''It's not displaced or anything, so it's more of a precautionary thing than anything,'' Pierzynski said. ''Knowing me, I'd try to play today and go, but they're basically doing this to keep me out of my own harm's way. Hopefully we're going to retest it in 10 days and if it's better, then hopefully I'll be ready to go.''

The move is retroactive to Aug. 13, making Pierzynski eligible to be activated Aug. 28. He says he hopes to be ready by Sept. 1.

Pierzynski is leading American League catchers with a .296 average. He has six homers and 39 RBIs.

This is the first career trip to the DL for Pierzynski, and it couldn't come at a more inopportune time with the White Sox, who are just 3 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central with the second-place Indians — two games back — in town.

Backup catcher Ramon Castro has been shelved since July 9 with a broken right hand, so the White Sox will turn to catchers Tyler Flowers and Donny Lucy to handle the backstop.

''I can just be here for support and try to help them,'' Pierzynski said. ''Help Flowers and Lucy out as far as catching and that kind of stuff. Other than that, it just stinks you have to sit here and you can't really go out and hit or catch or do anything to help the team.''

The White Sox purchased Lucy's contract from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday. Flowers has been up since Castro went on the DL.

Flowers, one of Chicago's top prospects, hadn't started consecutive games since being recalled, but had four hits in seven at-bats over the weekend, including his first major league home run.

''I had some good at-bats these last few games,'' Flowers said. ''I feel way better than I did in the years past, so I look at it more that way. The development process over the last few years. It has been really good and hopefully I can continue and be consistent and have success.''

Pierzynski is confident that Flowers will be a more than adequate fill-in while he recovers.

''He's been up and down a couple times. This isn't his first time here, he's comfortable around the guys,'' Pierzynski said. ''He's just thrust into a new situation where he and Lucy are gonna be out there every day and they have to figure it out. (Pitching coach Don Cooper) will do a good job of keeping them informed on what we want to do.''

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