The Sox made two more roster moves Tuesday, sending catcher Matt Merullo to Triple-A Nashville and putting pitcher Mike Dunne on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right elbow.
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The moves brought the number of players ill in spring training camp to 30-five above the Opening Day limit. General Manager Ron Schueler says he plans to take 28 players to Las Vegas for the exhibition season wrapup. The next two cuts are expected Wednesday with the final three next weekend.
Merullo was batting .346 with two game-winning pinch hits when he got the word. However, his defensive play was limited because of arm troubles that carried over from last year.
Merullo said, however, he saw a bright side.
“This gives me a chance to show I can catch or I can’t,” he said. “If I stayed in the big leagues, I would have been labeled a left-hander coming off the bench.”
– Dunne said his elbow has been bothering him since before his first outing this spring. He only worked one inning against the Indians on March 10 and was the only one of five pitchers that day who failed to give up a home run in a 20-6 loss.
“My elbow’s been feeling better lately, but I’m still not close to ready,” said Dunne. Dunne said he had a similar inflamed elbow at Triple-A Vancouver last season and missed six weeks.
– Former Cub Craig Lefferts started for the Rangers Tuesday night and held the Sox hitless through 5 1/3 innings. Ozzie Guillen broke the spell with a single to center, but that was the only hit Lefferts gave up in six innings. He got the victory to raise his record to 3-0 and lower his earned-run average to 2.08.
The Sox came into the game with the highest batting average in the American League at .318. They were held to two hits and shut out 3-0 by three Texas pitchers-Lefferts, newly acquired Mike Schooler and closer Tom Henke. Schooler, formerly of the Mariners, was signed to a Triple-A contract just before the game.