Rangers receive some grim news on Martin Perez and Matt Harrison - MLB

The Rangers have been snakebitten by injuries this year and the bad news keeps on piling up. The team placed starter Martin Perez on the disabled list with elbow discomfort earlier. Starter Matt Harrison returned from the disabled list on April 27 after dealing with back problems, but gave up three runs in 1 2/3 innings on Tuesday. The Rangers have placed Harrison on the disabled list again and recalled right-hander Miles Mikolas from Triple-A Round Rock to take his place on the roster. Nick Tepesch was called up from Round Rock to take Perez’s spot as well.

Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that Perez has a partially torn UCL, which may require Tommy John surgery. Harrison has a displacement of a vertebra in his back along with significant nerve irritation. He can either deal with the discomfort or undergo spinal fusion surgery, which could possibly end his career.

You can’t say it any better than Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest did:

This has to rank right up there as one of darkest days in Rangers history.

— Anthony Andro (@aandro) May 14, 2014

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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.