Rays place catcher Curt Casali on 15-day DL with strained left hamstring
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay Rays catcher Curt Casali has been placed on the 15-day disabled list one day after straining his left hamstring running the bases following his own home run in Tuesday night's 11-7 loss to Minnesota.
Casali's leg started getting tight en route to first base following his 10th homer -- ninth since the All-Star break -- in the fifth inning. He slowly finished his trip around the bases with a slight limp before heading toward the clubhouse.
"It's not a tear," said Casali, who hopes to be back in mid-September. "I've got to take it day by day. I'm going to do my best to get back as soon as I can."
Casali first experienced hamstring tightness last weekend and will be shutdown from working out for four or five days.
"I felt fine before the game, during the game," Casali said. "Even though it ended up being a home run, I didn't know it at the time. I thought it might have a better chance to be a double. I was running hard out of the box. Just as I was about to cross over to first base, it just jabbed. I knew something was wrong."
Tampa Bay started Wednesday 2 1-2 games out of the second AL wild card spot.
"It's terrible timing," Casali said. "We're in a pennant race."
The Rays filled Casali's roster spot before Wednesday night's game against the Twins by purchasing the contract of catcher-first baseman J.P. Arencibia from Triple-A Durham.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Rene Rivera will get a majority of the playing time at catcher.
Tampa Bay created a spot on the 40-man roster for Arencibia by recalling left-hander Grayson Garvin from Double-A Montgomery and then putting him on the 60-day disabled list with a left lat tear.
