Juan Gonzalez has been placed on the DL with a torn muscle between the thumb and index finger in his right hand. The injury was reportedly sustained while Gonzalez was swinging a bat a week ago today. He attempted to play through it but had to leave Tuesday's game.

Texas thinks he will likely be able to return when he is eligible to come off the DL on April 25th. However, doctors say he probably won't be able to do much with the hand for two weeks and he may need a few days after that to return to baseball activities.

Gabe Kapler, Frank Catalanotto, and Rusty Greer have been sharing LF and DH playing time, so with the opening in right field, all of them should basically see full-time at-bats while Gonzalez is out. Kevin Mench was called up Saturday when Rich Rodriguez was placed on the DL and will also likely receive some additional playing time, especially against lefties. Mike Lamb was called up to take Gonzalez's roster spot but will be unlikely to find much playing time.

Closer Jeff Zimmerman, on the DL with tendinitis in his right elbow, reportedly felt soreness in the elbow after his last throwing session. Texas is being very cautious with him so it may be several days before he receives permission to pitch again. Considering the pace of his recovery, Zimmerman is currently not expected to return until mid-May.

Texas reliever Jay Powell also started the season on DL. Powell is suffering from tendinitis in the middle finger on his right hand, which has not responded to treatment. The team has recently become concerned that there may be ligament damage in the finger that could set him back further. At this point he'll almost certainly miss the next two weeks and is likely to be out longer.

Meanwhile in Milwaukee, the injuries that have afflicted the Brewers' pen have spread to the rotation. Jamey Wright has been placed on the DL with rotator cuff tendinitis. The Brewers currently expect him to return on April 20th, the first day that he will be eligible to come of the disabled list.

Nelson Figueroa will be brought in from the bullpen to start in place of the injured Wright. He isn't particularly dominant but should be able to eat some innings. RHP Brian Mallette has been called up to aid the relief staff. Mallette is a 27-year-old rookie reliever. He was slow to advance past A ball but had considerable success at AA and AAA last season while demonstrating good skills.

On Saturday, Minnesota had to place two players on the DL. Brian Buchanan is suffering from a bruised lower back, and Luis Rivas has a bruised left forearm after being hit by a Dan Reichert pitch. Denny Hocking has received the majority of Rivas' playing time, though Jay Canizaro and Warren Morris have also seen some of the additional at-bats.

Dustan Mohr and Bobby Kielty have been platooning in place of Buchanan. Kielty was called up when Buchanan was placed on the DL and is expected to return to the minors when Buchanan rejoins the team. However, Mohr has impressed during his at-bats and may hold onto some of his playing time even after Buchanan returns. Mohr has significant power upside and even a little speed but will have difficulty holding onto his extra at-bats due to poor plate discipline.

Boston pitcher Dustin Hermanson was placed on the DL on Monday retroactive to April 4th. While Hermanson's groin pull is reportedly not overly serious, the Red Sox, like many teams this spring, want to make sure that he doesn't rush his return and cause significant damage.

Knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield will start in place of Hermanson. Sun-Woo Kim has been called up to take Hermanson's roster spot but will be limited to filling in for Wakefield in the bullpen.

John Burkett is expected back from the DL next weekend. His recovery from shoulder inflammation is progressing well, though his pitch count for the first few outings after he returns will likely be monitored to limit the stress on his arm.

Toronto pitcher Chris Carpenter was placed on the DL one week ago with shoulder tendinitis. Evidently though the shoulder bothered him during Spring Training, he failed to reveal the trouble to anyone. The Blue Jays think that the shoulder was probably simply in need of rest and that Carpenter should be able to return as soon as he is eligible to come off the DL.

Brian Cooper was called up to take Carpenter's place on the roster and in the rotation. Justin Miller was called up to replace Scott Cassidy in the bullpen. The 26-year-old Cassidy is a rookie with starting potential and has pitched well this spring. However, with the troubles some of the starters have had recently, the team reportedly wanted to add a fresh arm with to the bullpen.

The 24-year-old Miller has solid skills and good potential. Cooper, Luke Prokopec, and Scott Eyre have all struggled this spring, so Miller may receive an occasional start.