Dee Gordon left Sunday night's game with left leg cramps after the eighth inning, the second time in four games he had to exit early. The Dodgers had no true backup shortstop on the roster, so on Monday that was rectified as Luis Cruz had his contract purchased from Triple A Albuquerque.
Cruz, 28, was hitting .318/.348/.529 in Triple A and had started 71 games at shortstop for the Isotopes. Cruz, who made the Pacific Coast League All-Star team, nearly made the Dodgers opening day roster out of spring training.
"Luis gives us some options as a guy who's been swinging the bat, and he plays all over. We didn't really have a true shortstop besides Dee," said manager Don Mattingly. "His biggest problem in the spring was that he wasn't on the roster."
Cruz is starting at shortstop Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds, batting eighth.
Gordon had started 38 straight games, missing only seven defensive innings during that span. But he is also hitting just .228/.279/.278 on the season.
"He's been getting dehydrated, so it's a situation where we're going to have to make sure we keep him off the field a little bit," said Mattingly. "We knew we were pushing him pretty good, but it's not going to hurt him to get some days."
Gordon insisted the injury wasn't long term and that he would drink more water going forward.
"It's just a day off, I promise," Gordon said.
The Dodgers optioned relief pitcher Shawn Tolleson, who had pitched in just six games since getting recalled on June 4. The move gives the Dodgers 11 pitchers on the team, the first time all season they have had fewer than 12 pitchers.
To make room for Cruz on the 40-man roster, pitcher Ted Lilly was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Lilly, who has been out since May 24 with left shoulder inflammation, is eligible to return on July 23, but it is unkown just when Lilly will be ready, as he has yet to throw off a mound since hitting the disabled list.
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