MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Twins lost an important hitter in their struggling lineup for the next two weeks when they placed right fielder Michael Cuddyer on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a sprained right thumb.
Cuddyer was hurt in Wednesday's game against Detroit when he made a hard slide into second base to break up a double play. He was originally scheduled to play Thursday, but manager Ron Gardenhire was nervous about Cuddyer's swollen, black-and-blue hand. An MRI exam on Friday revealed ligament damage that is expected to require 10 to 14 days of recovery.
Outfielder Darnell McDonald's contract was selected from Triple-A Rochester, and the 28-year-old -- whose only prior major league experience was a 17-game stint with Baltimore in 2004 -- was in right field and batting seventh for Friday's game against Los Angeles.
Cuddyer is one of a handful of Twins who have been reliable hitters all season, while several holes at the bottom of the order have contributed to their struggle to stay relevant in the AL playoff race. They were just swept in a three-game series by division-leading Detroit, defeats by the scores of 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3 in which they had numerous chances to drive in go-ahead runs.
"We're having trouble sustaining offense, and there's no better example than the past couple games," general manager Terry Ryan said, answering a question about his level of urgency to acquire another hitter before the trade deadline. "Maybe one guy can provide that."
