NewsBackup catcher Rivera placed on DL
Sprained ankle knocked backstop out of Tuesday's game
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
04/29/09 6:38 PM ET
MILWAUKEE -- Backup Brewers catcher Mike Rivera said his left ankle injury is more serious than originally thought, and the team placed him on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday. A little more than an hour later, the team selected catcher Carlos Corporan from Triple-A Nashville and added him to the 40-man roster.Rivera was injured in Tuesday's win over the Pirates when he tried to block the plate on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly. The throw home from left fielder Ryan Braun arrived at the same time as Pittsburgh shortstop Brian Bixler, and after Bixler slid in safely, Rivera immediately doubled over in pain.
He finished the half-inning before leaving the game with what club officials called a Grade 1 sprain, the least severe variety of ankle injuries. It was somewhat surprising then when the team sent Rivera to the office of head team physician William Raasch on Wednesday morning, a rare move for a player with only a minor injury. "Now they are saying high ankle sprain," Rivera said Wednesday evening. "The doctor was waiting to see the X-ray pictures. We'll know something more [on Thursday]." Those X-rays were taken Tuesday night, and they were negative for broken bones. Rivera was limited to serving as regular catcher Jason Kendall's backup last season but his duties were expanded this year to handle right-hander Dave Bush, who started Tuesday night. With Rivera out on Wednesday, the Brewers' backup catcher was Casey McGehee, who caught at least 93 games in the Minor Leagues, including 17 games last season at Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' chain. Macha has yet to see McGehee catch. Did that fact make the manager nervous? "I'm fine with it, so don't worry about it," Macha said. "In his career, he's done it a lot." McGehee has also been getting experience before Brewers games. He has emerged as the designated catcher for ceremonial first pitches. "He's doing well on the first pitches, particularly balls in the dirt," Macha joked. "He's gotten a lot of work on that." Before Corporan was added, the only other catcher on Milwaukee's 40-man roster was Angel Salome, who is hitting just .182 at Triple-A Nashville and missed much of Spring Training with a back injury. His backup, Corporan, is much more familiar with the Brewers' staff because he stayed with the big league club all the way through its exhibition games in Los Angeles just before the start of the regular season. Corporan is considered an excellent defensive player.Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
