Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker, who is having a breakout season at the plate, was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with an intercostal strain.
Reds manager David Bell told reporters that Winker underwent an MRI on Monday and the team doesn’t consider the injury to be “a long-term issue.”
Winker returned to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies after missing two straight games with the injury but was pulled from the game after two at-bats, both flyouts.
Winker, who was named to his first All-Star Game this season, has career bests this season with a .307 batting average, 24 home runs and 71 RBIs. He leads the National League with 32 doubles, also a career high.
The Reds recalled infielder Jose Barrero from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Barrero, ranked as the No. 40 prospect on ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s midseason list, is hitting .303 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs at two levels of the Reds’ minor league system this season. He appeared in 24 games for the Reds at the major league level during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season and hit .194 with two RBIs.
The Reds (64-55) enter Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs 2½ games behind the San Diego Padres for the second NL wild-card spot.