The Seatttle Mariners have placed first baseman Justin Smoak on the 15-day DL with a broken nose. Smoak suffered the injury during Friday's 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox when Boston's Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounder in the second inning bounced up and hit Smoak in the face.
Smoak, who was on the ground bleeding for several minutes after the incident, was taken to the hospital and received a CT scan. He was diagnosed with a non-displaced nose fracture and should be able to resume restricted activity (such as taking catches and participating in batting practice) within three to five days.
The Mariners have called up Wily Mo Pena from Tacoma to replace Smoak. The slugger Pena played 17 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this season, batting .196 (9-for-46) with five home runs and seven RBIs. According to Greg Johns, Pena will bat fifth tonight against the Red Sox and will be the designated hitter.
In order to make room for Pena on the 40-man roster, the Mariners have designated lefty Luke French. French has made 31 appearances in the MLB since being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2004, though he has not appeared in a major league game yet this season.