Dodgers Acquire Hoffman

The Dodgers’ injury situation, compounded Monday by the determination that shortstop Mariano Duncan might have a torn ligament in his left knee, resulted in a flurry of moves to fill gaps in the roster.

Duncan, examined Monday by Dr. Frank Jobe in Los Angeles, was put on the 21-day disabled list with a severely sprained ligament. The Dodgers said Duncan will be examined again “in a couple of days” to determine if surgery will be needed.

Because of a shortage of shortstops, the Dodgers acquired veteran infielder Glenn Hoffman from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named. Hoffman, 29, who has a .247 major league average, was batting .233 with 22 runs batted in for the Red Sox’s Triple-A team in Pawtucket, R.I.

Tracy Woodson, a third baseman-first baseman with the Dodgers’ Triple-A team in Albuquerque, will take Duncan’s spot on the roster. The Dodgers will announce a move today to make room for Hoffman.

Hoffman and Woodson are expected to be in uniform tonight when the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Montreal Expos.

The Dodgers said one test of Duncan’s left knee showed a tear, but another did not reveal anything more than a sprain. Jobe said Duncan will be lost for at least 21 days.

Fred Claire, Dodger vice president, said the club will not have to part with a “substantial” player for Hoffman. Claire, reached in Billings, Mont., where he is watching the Dodgers’ rookie league team, said the glut of injuries prompted Hoffman’s acquisition.

With Duncan and Dave Anderson (strained hamstring) on the disabled list, Craig Shipley was forced to play shortstop Sunday in San Francisco. Monday night, Shipley was sent to the Dodgers’ Double-A San Antonio affiliate.

Hoffman, a graduate of Savanna High School in Anaheim, played seven seasons at shortstop and third base for the Red Sox before being demoted to Triple-A early this season.

“The timing was right to get him,” Claire said. “He was a player we’ve had our eye on, and we’ve got a lot of scouting reports on him. And because of the injuries to Mariano and Dave Anderson, we felt the need to make the trade.

“This injury flurry truly is unusual. I don’t know many clubs that have gone through this many in a short stretch. We just have to keep playing through it.”