Rays to move Cesar Ramos to rotation, add Erik Bedard to bullpen - MLB

With starter Matt Moore on the shelf after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament, Rays manager Joe Maddon says Cesar Ramos will move out of the bullpen to start on Sunday, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Topkin adds that it sounds like veteran lefty Erik Bedard will be called up from Triple-A Durham.

Ramos, 29, has allowed one run in four innings to start the 2014 season. He was one of the Rays’ best relievers in 2012, but ran into some struggles last season, finishing with a 4.14 ERA in 67 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate dropped from 24 percent to 18 percent.

Bedard, 35, finished with a 4.59 ERA in 151 innings spanning 26 starts and six relief appearances last season for the Astros. The Rays signed him to a minor league deal in February, released him after he had ugly results in spring training, then re-signed him to a minor league deal at the end of March, sending him to Triple-A Durham. In his first start with the Bulls, Bedard allowed one run in four innings, striking out five and walking one.

Follow @CrashburnAlley

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.