Rafael Furcal, who has sat out over a week with a bad back, will be placed on the disabled list Wednesday, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
The Dodgers planned to DL Furcal on Monday, but he talked his way into a one-day stay. Then he worked out before the game and his back stiffened up. Torre said the decision was made during the game.
“It’s not a setback,” said Torre. “We decided it was the safest thing to do.”
Furcal missed a month earlier this season with a strained left hamstring, but made the NL All-Star team with a strong first half. Among major league shortstops with 200 plate appearances this season, Furcal ranks second to Troy Tulowitzki in batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.380), and slugging percentage (.492). Furcal last played on August 2, so the earliest date he would be eligible to return is August 18.
Gurnick also reported Juan Castro would be called up from Triple A Albuquerque to take Furcal’s place on the roster. Castro began his career with the Dodgers in 1995, and returned as the utility infielder last season before signing with the Phillies this offseason. He was released by Philadelphia on July 17 after hitting .198 in 54 games.
Once Castro's contract is purchased, the Dodgers will have the full 40 players on their 40-man roster.