KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After a week of inactivity due to soreness in the left side of his rib cage, shortstop Eduardo Nunez was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the New York Yankees on Sunday morning.
Alberto Gonzalez was called up from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre.
To clear space for Gonzalez, who was acquired last week in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, on the 40-man roster, the Yankees transferred Mark Teixeira (wrist) to the 60-day DL.
Nunez's DL stint was made retroactive to last Monday, since he has not played since leaving in the fifth inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics on May 5 at Yankee Stadium.
"Instead of trying to test it every day to see where he's at, we're just going to give him about three days, get him swinging early next week or in the middle some time if he feels like he's ready, and then maybe get him out in some rehab games," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It just wasn't where we wanted it, and we felt like we couldn't go any longer."
Nunez, who became the Yankees' everyday shortstop when it was discovered that Derek Jeter had suffered a new fracture in his surgically repaired left ankle in spring training, is batting .200 with no home runs and four RBIs, but has shown defensive improvement this year.
With Jeter and Alex Rodriguez out until after the All-Star break, Teixeira out until June and Kevin Youkilis on the DL with a lower-back injury, the Yankees are thin in the infield. With a makeup doubleheader looming Monday against the Indians in Cleveland, it became essential to replace Nunez on the roster even if he'll be well enough to play in a couple of days.
"I feel better, I'm just not ready to play," Nunez said. "I understand the situation. We don't have infielders."
In Nunez's absence, Jayson Nix has filled in well at shortstop, batting .253 with a home run and six RBIs.
