Dee Gordon likely minors-bound when Rafael Furcal returns from disabled list Sunday

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Rafael Furcal wrapped up his minor league rehab assignment last night with High-A Rancho Cucamonga and is slated to rejoin the Dodgers as soon as tomorrow. There’s nothing official yet, but Matt Stevens of the Los Angeles Times writes that all signs point to rookie shortstop Dee Gordon being sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque.

“We’ll make that decision on Sunday,” Mattingly said about what Furcal’s return could mean for Gordon. “It is a decision we will make when we have to make it. [General Manager] Ned [Colletti] and I haven’t really even talked about it at this point.”

Furcal has been on the disabled list since the first week of June with an oblique injury. The Dodgers briefly discussed moving him to second base to keep Gordon on the major league roster, but Mattingly said last night that the idea has been shelved “for now.” Things could change if Furcal is eventually traded or more likely, if he suffers another injury. The 33-year-old shortstop has already been on the disabled list twice this season.

Gordon, 23, is batting .241/.259/.291 with a 16/2 K/BB ratio over his first 82 major league plate appearances. While he has struggled at the plate, he is 8-for-10 in stolen base attempts. He was credited with two stolen bases in the seventh inning last night against the Angels, including a theft of home plate.

MLB homer leader Pete Alonso to IL with bone bruise, sprain in wrist

pete alonso
Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports
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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.