Injury Report: Pelfrey's Back

On Sunday, the Twins placed RHP Mike Pelfrey on the 15-day DL, retroactive to June 19 (the last time he pitched), with a strained back.

His back tightened up during pre-game exercising on Saturday. He couldn't get it loose before his scheduled start on Sunday, so on the DL he went.

There's no indication of whether he'll be able to return when he's eligible, but it's doubtful this injury is serious.

LHP Pedro Hernandez was recalled to start on Sunday, and then was promptly optioned back after the game. It was a good thing that Pelfrey mentioned his sore back on Saturday; it gave the Twins time to notify Hernandez so he could drive six hours from Louisville, Kentucky, (where the Red Wings were playing) to Cleveland. If Pelfrey had waited until he woke up on Sunday to report it, the Twins would have been up a creek. Anthony Swarzak normally would've been able to make a spot start, but since he had to clean up PJ Walters' horrible one-inning start on Saturday, he was unavailable.

Although the transaction hasn't been officially made yet, the Twins have announced that they're calling up Kyle Gibson to replace Pelfrey on the roster. THE Kyle Gibson.

Injury Report: Hicksey Hammey

On Monday, the Twins placed Aaron Hicks on the 15-day DL with a left hamstring strain. He suffered it in Sunday evening's game while running to first base.

The hamstrings are the group of muscles running along the back of the thigh from the hip to the knee. If you've ever over-done lunges or weeding your garden, you've felt your hamstrings the next morning.

I haven't seen any indication how serious his injury is or how soon the Twins expect him back (probably because Monday's off-day didn't allow for the reporters to ask anyone about it). Fortunately, he didn't do that patented "shot-by-a-sniper" fall that people do when a hammie is ruptured. (I've witnessed that happening to an acquaintance, and it wasn't pretty.)

The Twins recalled Oswaldo Arcia to take Hicks' place on the roster. It sounds like Clete Thomas, who was added to the roster earlier this month, will be patrolling center field until either Hicks or Wilkin Rameriz comes off the DL.