Kansas City placed C-R Benito Santiago on the disabled list yesterday. Santiago fractured the fifth metacarpal of his right hand when Geoff Geary hit him with a pitch during the sixth inning of the Royals' June 18th game at Philadelphia. Before Santiago can even consider exposing the hand to the constant concussion of catching, the bone probably will need four to six weeks to heal. Consequently, I do not expect him back before August, and he easily could be out two months.

In order to fill the roster spot opened by Santiago's trip to the DL, Kansas City called up C-R Mike Tonis, who the Royals drafted out of the University of California with a second round pick in 2000. Injuries repeatedly have interrupted Tonis' progress through the minors and caused him to miss the majority of the 2002 season. He received 226 AB at AA Wichita in 2001 and another 307 in 2003 but still returned to the level this year. At the time of his promotion, the 25-year-old was hitting .227 with a .270 OBP and .298 SLG on 41 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, and 2 HR with a 12:35 BB:K in 227 AB at AA.

C-R Kelly Stinnett will take over as the Royals' starting catcher in Santiago's absence, though the 34-year-old likely will receive a few extra rest days as he is unaccustomed to playing everyday. Tonis probably will make a start or two at most each week. Considering at-bats seem to be what he needs most due to the playing time he has missed as a result of injury, I do not like the idea of bringing Tonis to the majors to sit on the bench. He's demonstrated solid plate discipline and promising power in the past, but I do not expect those skills to re-emerge until he's able to settle into an environment and regularly work on them.

While Tonis was the only minor league catcher already on the 40-man roster, Kansas City could have opened up a spot by moving Miguel Asencio to the 60-day DL, allowing them to call up C-R Alberto Castillo. Although Castillo likely does not offer substantially more to the team than Tonis, the move would permit Tonis to continue training in the minors without interruption. On the other hand, rumors indicate that the Royals are seeking a third base and a catching prospect in return for pending free agent OF-S Carlos Beltran, and Tonis' disappointing offensive production has probably put his position on the 40-man in jeopardy. Consequently, limited as the opportunity might be, Kansas City could be providing Tonis with his only opening to distinguish himself for the foreseeable future. Tonis possesses a solid defensive reputation, so there's a small chance he could attract attention that will help him secure a back-up position in the future.