Chris Carpenter, John Danks among winless starters - MLB

11 pitchers had made at least five starts this year and are still looking for their first victories. Here’s the list:

Jeff Francis (Royals) – 0-4, 5.09 ERA in eight starts
Tim Stauffer (Padres) – 0-1, 2.61 ERA in seven starts
John Danks (White Sox) – 0-5, 3.83 ERA in seven starts
Chris Carpenter (Cardinals) – 0-2, 4.19 ERA in seven starts
Madison Bumgarner (Giants) – 0-5, 4.21 ERA in seven starts
Jo-Jo Reyes (Blue Jays) – 0-3, 5.00 ERA in seven starts
Joe Saunders (Diamondbacks) – 0-4, 5.72 ERA in seven starts
Brad Bergesen (Orioles) – 0-4, 5.57 ERA in six starts (one relief)
Mat Latos (Padres) – 0-4, 4.55 ERA in five starts
Ubaldo Jimenez (Rockies) – 0-2, 5.88 ERA in five starts
Nelson Figueroa (Astros) – 0-3, 9.00 ERA in five starts (two relief)

As the Toronto Globe & Mail points out, Reyes has gone 25 starts without a win since 2008. He’s 5-18 lifetime in 44 starts and four relief appearances.

Stauffer is the most unfortunate guy here. He was finally in line for his first win Friday after pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings and leaving with a 3-0 lead, but Heath Bell, with a lot of help from an ugly Chase Headley error, blew a save for the first time in 42 opportunities. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in six of his seven starts.

Carpenter also deserves special mention for going winless for a first place team. The former 21-game winner has pitched just well enough to lose. His two best starts this season came in games where St. Louis managed just one run, and his two worst coincided with the Cardinals’ two offensive outbursts (an 8-7 loss to the Marlins on May 4 and a 13-8 loss to the Diamondbacks on April 12).

PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.

The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.

The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.

“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”

New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.

“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”

Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.

The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.

New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.

Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.