Cincinnati, OH -- (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Reds placed outfielder Josh Hamilton, Rookie of the Year candidate and feel-good story of the year in the majors, on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a sprained right wrist. The move is retroactive to July 8.

Hamilton, the number one overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, left Saturday's eventual 5-4 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning with the injury.

Hamilton had one at-bat in the first inning, reaching safely on a fielding error by Arizona shortstop Stephen Drew. Hamilton was also on deck in the third before he returned to the dugout, and was replaced by Edwin Encarnacion.

Encarnacion remained in the game at third base and clubbed a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Ryan Freel moved from third base to center field.

Hamilton is batting .279 with 14 homers and 30 RBI in 63 games for the Reds this season, his first in the majors. His journey to the big leagues has been a long and arduous one, with a substance-abuse problem that led to multiple suspensions by MLB.

In other moves on Thursday, the Reds selected the contract of catcher Chad Moeller from Triple-A Louisville and claimed pitcher Alexander Smith off waivers from Minnesota.