CINCINNATI, Ohio — Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips had surgery Friday to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, an injury that’s expected to sideline him for about six weeks.
The Reds entered a weekend series against Pittsburgh with their infield depleted by injuries.
First baseman Joey Votto was out indefinitely with a strained muscle above his left knee. Skip Schumaker, who was expected to help fill in at second base, went on the 7-day disabled list with a concussion.
Schumaker ran into the outfield wall as he tried to make a catch during a 6-4, 12-inning loss to the Cubs on Thursday. He was sore when he showed up at the ballpark on Friday, and he was later diagnosed with a concussion.
The Reds called up infielder Donald Lutz from Triple-A Louisville to take Schumaker’s spot. Lutz was one of only three bench players left for the game against Pittsburgh, along with catcher Brayan Pena and infielder Kristopher Negron.
Phillips hurt the thumb when his glove bent awkwardly as he tried to make a sliding catch on Wednesday. Ramon Santiago started at second base on Friday. Manager Bryan Price had intended to use Santiago and Schumaker there while Phillips is gone.
Now, they’re just trying to make it to the All-Star break.
"I like what we have here," Price said before Schumaker went on the DL. "I just want to make sure that, coming out of the All-Star break, the guys that we have here are as healthy as possible. That will be the biggest challenge."
Centre fielder Billy Hamilton was back on Friday after being out of the lineup for one game because of a sore hamstring. Pena has several nagging injuries.
The Reds decided to bolster their worn-down bullpen before the game, adding two relievers. Right-handers Carlos Contreras and Curtis Partch were called up from Louisville. Catcher Tucker Barnhart was optioned to open a spot.
Starter Homer Bailey had to leave in the fifth inning on Thursday after slightly straining his right knee on a pitch. Price expects him to be able to make his next start.
"It seems like every game we’ve played lately, something has happened," Price said. "The good news on Homer is he feels better today and we’re encouraged that he should be ready to go once we get through the All-Star break."
