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MLB notebook: Mariners' Haniger out with ruptured testicle

[June 08, 2019] Seattle Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger was placed on the 10-day injured list with a ruptured testicle, the team announced Friday.

Haniger was injured in the third inning of Thursday's game against the Houston Astros when he was struck by his own foul ball. The ball hit the ground and bounced back into Haniger's crotch. He remained in the game until exiting in the seventh inning.

"He took a pretty hard shot," Seattle manager Scott Servais told reporters after Thursday's game.

Haniger, 28, is batting .220 with 15 homers and 32 RBIs in 63 games this season.

--The New York Yankees activated shortstop Didi Gregorius from the injured list, and he made his season debut against the Indians in Cleveland.

Gregorius, who had two hits in the 5-2 loss, had been on the shelf since the 2018 American League Division Series when he injured his elbow on a throw home. He underwent Tommy John surgery in October.

He hit .156 over eight games during his rehab assignment, but manager Aaron Boone told reporters Thursday that statistic is insignificant and the team is happy to have him back.

--The Colorado Rockies activated outfielder Charlie Blackmon and right-handed closer Wade Davis from the injured list.

Blackmon, 32, had been sidelined since fouling a ball off his right calf on May 23. The three-time All-Star is batting .300 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs in 46 games this season.

The 33-year-old Davis was battling a strained left oblique and last pitched for the Rockies on May 14. Davis, a three-time All-Star, is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA and seven saves in 17 appearances.

--The Baltimore Orioles placed left fielder Dwight Smith Jr. on the seven-day concussion list, a day after he endured a face-first collision with the outfield wall.

Smith held on to the ball for an out Thursday against the Texas Rangers despite the fierce collision in which he appeared to injure his jaw and shoulder. He departed the game one inning later in the fifth.

"He's going to be out for a while," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters after the game. "He's going through concussion protocol, they're going to X-ray his shoulder that he banged in the wall and he's holding his jaw. It was like a car wreck."

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New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) lies on the ground after being thrown out stretching a single into a double during the second inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

--The Minnesota Twins activated right-hander Michael Pineda from the 10-day injured list, clearing the way for him to start against the Tigers in Detroit.

Pineda, 30, was sidelined with right knee tendinitis. On the season, Pineda has a 4-3 record with a 5.34 ERA over 11 starts.

In a corresponding move, the Twins optioned left-hander Devin Smeltzer to Triple-A Rochester. Smeltzer, 23, made two starts in Pineda's place, going 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA.

--Seven-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel finally has an employer in the Chicago Cubs after enduring a tough free-agency process. The right-handed closer received very little interest in the offseason, and competition for his services only recently heated up after draft-pick compensation was no longer required under league rules. Up until June 3, a team signing Kimbrel was obligated to give up a draft pick.

The deadline passed and Kimbrel signed a three-year deal worth a reported $43 million with the Cubs earlier this week. He said he wasn't surprised with what transpired when he met with reporters at Wrigley Field on Friday.

"Am I surprised?" Kimbrel said, repeating a question. "No. Am I disappointed where I am right now? No, not at all. I'm glad I've made it through this process, which was tough, and hopefully we can get this worked out between players and owners moving forward. That's a different conversation."

--One of the National League's most storied rivalries is going international next season.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs are scheduled for a June 13-14 series in London in 2020, Major League Baseball announced.

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will play a two-game series in England later this month. The Cardinals will be the home team in the series.

--Field Level Media

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