Will Middlebrooks and Garin Cecchini during spring training (Photo by Kelly O’Connor via SittingStill.smugmug.com)
Will Middlebrooks had been back for several weeks, but a line drive off the bat of Ian Kinsler placed him yet again on the disabled list. The ball caused a non-displaced fracture in his right index finger.
The 25-year-old slugger could be gone anywhere from two to six weeks with the injury depending on how quick the bone is able to heal.
The struggling third baseman has only hit .197 on the year after going 0-for-2 after being hit by the liner. He has compiled two homers and nine RBI through 71 at-bats with a .305 OBP.
Brock Holt got the nod to replace at the hot corner. The 24-year-old has been called two other times already in 2014 with a .348 average to go along with four runs driven in. Hislone extra-base hit was a triple.
If Holt struggles for a week or so with Middlebrooks on the DL, then Garin Cecchini might see some time at the major league level.