Roster Stuff: Injuries and September Call-ups

On August 30, the Twins placed Denard Span on the 15-day disabled list with a strain of his right sternoclavicular (SC) joint. At first look, that seems like an odd move, given that the Twins would increase their rosters on September 1. However, as ESPN1500's Phil Makey (@PMac21 on Twitter) explained it, they did it so they could call up Matt Carson to take his place. The rules state that when a player is optioned to the minor leagues, he must remain there for at least 10 days (or maybe it's 10 games) before being called up again, unless it's to replace someone going on the DL. Carson had been optioned on August 24th, so this was the only way to get him back right away.

The SC joint is the joint between the sternum (breast bone) and clavicle (collar bone). It supports the shoulder. He injured it a while ago while attempting a diving catch in the outfield. He rested it for seven or eight days and then played a couple of games, after which he either aggravated it or decided he just couldn't tolerate it. His diagnosis was further delayed by his claustrophobia making having MRIs difficult (I don't blame him a bit). It will take four to five weeks of rest to heal it fully, but both he and the Twins say he might get some playing time in late September.

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September Call-ups
RHP Esmerling Vasquez was called up and started Sunday's game against the Royals. He was a bit shaky, but it was his first major league start (he does have several appearances in relief with Arizona). He's 28.

PJ Walters has been activated from the 60-day DL as a September call up. He was recovering from a strained shoulder. He made a few rehab starts in the minors and now will be part of a six-man rotation (Walters, Vasquez, Cole De Vries, Samuel Deduno, Scott Diamond, and Liam Hendriks -- Brian Duensing was sent back to the bullpen) to finish off the season. He's 27.

LHP Luis Perdomo and his beard will be given another look in the bullpen. He's also 28.

IF Eduardo Escobar, who was acquired in the Francisco Liriano trade, will be given a chance to impress his new team. It sounds like he's pretty versatile; he's listed as a 3B, SS, and 2B, and FSNorth mentioned he can also play outfield and back-up catcher. He's 23.

And it sounds like that'll be it for the call-ups, even though there's still plenty of roster room. It's probably hard to get guys enough playing time to really make an assessment.

Notably missing:

RHP Anthony Slama has had a terrific year at Rochester -- 35.2 innings pitched with 13 saves and a 1.26 era. He did miss a big chunk of the season with a broken leg. He's 28.

IF Brian Dozier was sent down in August with the hope that he could regroup and get back to being good at baseball, but he kind of didn't do much in Rochester. He's 25.

It's no surprise that RHP Nick Blackburn wasn't called up; he was recently removed from the 40-man roster and he didn't do much to make a case to change anyone's minds.