ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday night because of a bruised left heel.
“I can’t do anything about it,” Rodriguez said. “I prefer to miss two weeks than play the whole year in pain. It’s only two weeks. I’ll be OK.”
Doug Mirabelli replaced Rodriguez in the starting lineup against Detroit, and was 0-for-1 with two walks in the Tigers’ 8-4 win.
To replace Rodriguez on the roster, Texas has purchased the contract of catcher Mike Hubbard from Oklahoma of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Hubbard was to join the Rangers on Thursday.
“This is the best way to get him well,” Texas manager Johnny Oates said. “The move we play him, the longer it would take to get better or get 100 percent. We’ll shut him down for two weeks and hope he is 100 percent after that.”
Rodriguez was hurt when his heel hit first base awkwardly as he ran out a grounder in the ninth inning Friday night at Cleveland. He then missed two games.
He still appeared hampered the injury Tuesday night against Detroit, despite going 2-for-4. He led of the fourth with a hit into the right-field corner, routinely a double for him, but was obviously slow running and was more than 10 feet from second base when Roger Cedeno’s throw got there.
With the game tied in the eighth, Rodriguez was lifted for a pinch-runner after reaching on an error.
Rodriguez, who is hitting .309 with six home runs and 11 RBIs, walked gingerly as he made his way through the clubhouse before Wednesday night’s game. He didn’t talk to reporters.
“Talking with the doctor, he thinks it’s best he stays off it for a while to get it well rather than try to do what he did last night for 10 days,” Oates said. “It’s a bruise. We probably didn’t help it, but we didn’t hurt it either.”
Rodriguez played in just 91 games last year, the fewest since his rookie season in 1991. He didn’t play after breaking his right thumb July 24, two weeks after starting his eighth straight All-Star games, and still won his ninth straight gold glove.