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Dodgers' Juan Uribe Placed On 15-Day DL, Call Up Cuban Prospect Arruebarrena

NEW YORK (AP) -- Third baseman Juan Uribe was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday by the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a strained right hamstring.

The team activated left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu from the DL to start against the New York Mets. Ryu had been out since late April with shoulder inflammation.

Right-handed reliever Chris Withrow was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque, and Cuban infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena was called up from Double-A Chattanooga. Arruebarrena signed a $25 million, five-year contract in February.

Uribe sat out five games this month with a sore right hamstring, but returned to the lineup last weekend. He limped off the field Tuesday night after running out a ninth-inning double.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said it's too early to tell how long Uribe might be out, especially because hamstring injuries "are always a little messy."

The 35-year-old Uribe is hitting .303 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 40 games.

Justin Turner and Chone Figgins will fill in at third base, Mattingly said. Turner started Wednesday night against his former team.

Turner played for the Mets from 2010-13, and it was a bit of a surprise when the club did not offer him a contract for this season.

Mattingly said the 24-year-old Arruebarrena will serve primarily as a backup, giving him a true shortstop on the bench to spell Hanley Ramirez occasionally. Arruebarrena played on the same team in Cuba (Cienfuegos) as Dodgers star Yasiel Puig, and the two greeted each other with a warm hug in the dugout during batting practice at Citi Field.

Arruebarrena, set to make his major league debut, was batting .208 with a homer and six RBIs in 25 games as Chattanooga's starting shortstop. He had shown improvement lately, with 11 hits in his past 29 at-bats (.379).

Mattingly, however, said he's looking for defense from Arruebarrena and isn't worried about him providing much offense.

Mattingly said it wasn't an easy decision to demote Withrow, sent down primarily because he had options remaining. Withrow had a 2.95 ERA in 20 appearances for the Dodgers this season, with 28 strikeouts and 18 walks in 21 1-3 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .143 batting average.

Withrow pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam Tuesday night to preserve a two-run lead in the seventh inning.

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