DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers announced Saturday that catcher Alex Avila has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with loose body in his left knee.
Avila was scratched from the starting lineup Friday night with what the club called a forearm contusion. His DL stint will begin retroactive to May 7.
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Loose bodies in knee joints are fragments of cartilage or bone that come loose and move around in the joint fluid. The fragments can make moving difficult by getting caught in other parts of the knee.
Avila said the injury has been bothering him for a few weeks and hopes to return fully healthy for the second half.
The Tigers will move James McCann into the regular starting nine during Avila's absence. McCann is batting .295 in 15 games with three extra-base hits and five RBI.
Detroit recalled Bryan Holaday from Triple-A Toledo to fill in as the backup catcher. Holaday played in 62 games for the Tigers last season, batting .231 with 15 RBI.
Both McCann and Holaday are able defensive catchers.