Concerned about the condition of shortstop Hanley Ramirez's right shoulder, the Dodgers called up Dee Gordon from the minor leagues Monday. But it's possible that Ramirez won't require another stint on the disabled list.
Ramirez, who suffered a jammed shoulder after he collided with a wall Sunday at Wrigley Field in Chicago, did not undergo an MRI and reportedly was feeling better. A team spokesman said an MRI had never been scheduled.
As a fallback measure, the Dodgers recalled Gordon from Triple-A Albuquerque to provide insurance in case Ramirez's injury forces him to miss several games or eventually puts him on the DL.
Right-hander Stephen Fife, who pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Cubs on Sunday, was optioned to Albuquerque to make room for Gordon.
Nick Punto started at shortstop in Monday's series opener in St. Louis against the Cardinals.
Gordon was hitting .307 at Albuquerque with a league-leading 44 stolen bases.
Ramirez is batting .361 in 54 games this season with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs. His .651 slugging percentage ranks third in the major leagues.
His big problem, however, has been injuries. He opened the season on the DL after suffering a torn ligament in his thumb at the World Baseball Classic in March and strained a hamstring May 3 in San Francisco.
