Two days, two no-hitters for Royals minor leaguers - MLB

The Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals got a nine-inning no-hitter from Will Smith and Kelvin Herrera on Tuesday night, matching the one thrown by Triple-A Omaha’s Luis Mendoza a day earlier.

Smith, who was picked up from the Angels in the Alberto Callaspo deal a year ago, threw seven hitless innings before his pitch count forced him from last night’s game. The 22-year-old struck out five and walked two. The walks came back-to-back to start the sixth inning, but an Alberto Rosario grounder to third turned into a triple play, bring a quick ending to the frame.

He was replaced in the eighth by the 21-year-old Herrera, who was part of the World team in the Futures Game last week. Herrera finished up with two perfect innings and now has a 1.91 ERA and a 39/3 K/BB ratio in 33 innings out of the pen for the Naturals.

Smith, who got the win, is 8-7 with a 3.93 ERA.

The day before, Mendoza pitched his second career Triple-A no-hitter, this one coming against Memphis. The 27-year-old sinkerballer inproved to 7-3 with a 2.30 ERA in 10 starts and 15 relief appearances for Memphis. He hasn’t been so successful in his trials in the majors, giving up 92 runs — 79 earned — in 84 1/3 innings. Most of those came with the Rangers in 2008.

Update: So much for this. The PCL on Wednesday overturned Mendoza’s no-hitter awarding Tyler Greene a double on a ninth-inning ball that was originally ruled an error.

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.