Struggling Florida Marlins closer Kevin Gregg says he’s taking a break to rest a sore left knee. That has bothered him the past three or four weeks.
The ailment wasn’t previously disclosed, and it helps explain why Gregg is 0-4 in his past seven outings with an ERA of 16.20.
“Unfortunately I think I made a bad decision of trying to play through some inflammation in my knee, and it has cost me and cost the team a couple of games,” Gregg said Saturday.
In his absence, manager Fredi Gonzalez said he’ll use Matt Lindstrom or Joe Nelson as the closer. Lindstrom, touted as the Marlins’ closer of the future, has no career saves. Nelson’s most recent save was in 2006.
Gregg is expected to be sidelined only a few days.
“Hopefully it’s just a couple of days, three, four, five days,” Gonzalez said.
Gregg has 29 saves but leads the major leagues with nine blown saves. The latest came when he surrendered a game-winning grand slam to the New York Mets’ Carlos Beltran in the ninth inning Friday.
“When I’m healthy, I’m going to get a lot of people out,” Gregg said. “I don’t want to back down. I want to keep going. But you have to look at the best interests of the team. Right now I don’t think it’s the best thing to go out there, because I am not 100 percent.”
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Reds recall RHP Ramirez, option INF Rosales.
The Cincinnati Reds recalled right-hander Ramon Ramirez from Triple-A Louisville on Saturday to get the start against the San Francisco Giants in his major league debut.
Infielder Adam Rosales was optioned to Louisville for the second time in two weeks.
Ramirez, 25, was a combined 6-8 with a 3.59 ERA and one save in 30 games, including 24 starts, with Louisville and Double-A Chattanooga this season.
Rosales is 1-for-10 in nine games this season. The 25-year-old was sent down on Aug. 16 to make room for first baseman Joey Votto to return from the bereavement list and recalled on Aug 20 when outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. was placed on the disabled list.
