Reds call up Dylan Axelrod to replace Homer Bailey in the rotation - MLB

Per the Reds’ Twitter, the club has promoted pitcher Dylan Axelrod from Triple-A Louisville. To create roster space, they moved Joey Votto to the 60-day disabled list and placed Homer Bailey on the 15-day disabled list.

The Votto move is strictly procedural. As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon notes, he is still eligible to be activated from the disabled list on September 4. The 30-year-old first baseman has been sidelined since July 8 with a strained right quad. He had been in the midst of a tough season, slashing .255/.390/.409 with six home runs and 23 RBI in 272 plate appearances.

Bailey has a strained flexor tendon in his right elbow as well as a bulging disk in his neck. The right-hander says he’ll pitch again this season. He hits the DL with a 3.71 ERA and a 124/45 K/BB ratio in 145 2/3 innings this season.

Axelrod was purchased by the Reds from the White Sox on July 17. In five starts with Louisville, the 29-year-old posted a 3.06 ERA and a 24/5 K/BB ratio in 35 1/3 innings. He will oppose the Rockies tonight at Coors Field, opposing Jordan Lyles.

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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.