MLB: Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman placed on DL with knee tendinitis

The New York Yankees’ injury wave has reached the ninth inning.

All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with tendinitis in his left knee. He joined right fielder Aaron Judge, shortstop Didi Gregorius and catcher Gary Sanchez on the DL for the Yankees, who have baseball’s second-best record despite their misfortune.

Manager Aaron Boone said he expected Chapman back for the final stretch for the season. Chapman said he hoped he would be ready to pitch again as soon as he’s eligible.

“That’s what you hope for — that it’s only 10 days,” the Cuban left-hander said through a translator. “We’ve got to rest and see how the knee reacts.”

Chapman said his knee discomfort dates back to May, but this is his first stint on the DL this year. The diagnosis came after he underwent an MRI, and he’ll fly to New York for further examination Friday.

“I’m confident he’s going to play a major factor for us down the stretch and hopefully in the postseason,” Boone said. “I do think this is something we’ll be able to manage, hopefully.”

Chapman entered Tuesday’s game at Miami in the 12th inning to try for his 32nd save. He walked Isaac Galloway leading off, threw one pitch to the next batter and then departed.

“The pain is not different,” Chapman said. “It’s just that this time around it was more intense. I felt it was a good decision to stop pitching because the intensity was higher.”

Tommy Kahnle came on to earn his first save since 2016.

In Chapman’s absence, closer duties will be shared by left-hander Zach Britton and right-handers Dellin Betances and David Robertson, Boone said.

“Depending on who we’re playing, we’ll kind of mix and match, I would assume, with those three guys,” Boone said. “Obviously when you take a guy like Aroldis Chapman out of your bullpen, that’s a blow, but we feel like we’re equipped to handle it.”

The Yankees recalled right-hander Chance Adams from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre. He or Sonny Gray might start Saturday, when the Yankees play a doubleheader at Baltimore, Boone said.

Martin out rest of season, Encarnacion off DL; Davis on DL

Cleveland Indians outfielder Leonys Martin will sit out the rest of the season because of a bacterial infection.

Manager Terry Francona revealed the news Wednesday before Cleveland’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

The 30-year-old Cuban player became ill following a game Aug. 8. Doctors determined he had the life-threatening bacterial infection that entered his bloodstream and created toxins that damaged his internal organs, compromising their function.

“The news is really good, he is doing fantastic, but he not going to play baseball this year,” Francona said, adding that the players updated about his health during a brief meeting. “Overall, he has done so well. We’re so thrilled that he’s OK.”

Martin was released from the hospital Sunday.

Also Wednesday, the club activated slugger Edwin Encarnacion from the 10-day disabled list. He had been sidelined since Aug. 12 with a right wrist contusion.

He was expected to return Thursday, but they placed outfielder Rajai Davis on the 10-day DL with a non-baseball-related, not-life-threatening medical condition. The move is retroactive to Monday.

He’s scheduled to have outpatient surgery on Monday and is expected to rejoin the club when rosters are expended on Sept. 1.

Martin was acquired from Detroit on July 31 to added depth to the outfield and appeared in six games.

Francona said he hoped to come back, but doctors decided it was best for him to rest.

“I think he wanted to play, but I think the doctors thought with what happened, he needs some time to let his body heal and we fully support that,” Francona said. “Even though we miss him a lot, it’s the right thing to do.”

Francona said Martin’s expected to have some more doctor appointments in Cleveland next week.

The club has gotten a boost by the play of rookie Greg Allen in center field in the first two games of a scheduled four-game series between two of the AL’s division leaders at Fenway Park.

Allen hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning of Monday’s win and had a nice running catch before diving to the ground. In Tuesday’s victory, he made a pair of stellar catches; the second thwarted Boston’s rally.

“It’s been fun to watch him develop in the middle of pennant race,” Francona said.

Blue Jays pitcher Sanchez comes clean on suitcase injury

Add Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez to the list of big leaguers to suffer suitcase-related injuries this season.

Sanchez acknowledged Wednesday that the bruised right index finger that has sidelined him for the past two months occurred when his finger got caught in a falling suitcase. The incident happened June 21, hours before Sanchez took the mound in Los Angeles against the Angels with about 180 friends and family from his hometown of Barstow, California, in the crowd.

“It got stuck in my suitcase and it started falling,” Sanchez said. “It all happened in a span of about 30 seconds. I said `Ow,’ and my knuckle got super fat. I pitched that day, probably didn’t help, but it was the first time I was going to pitch in front of my family as a professional and I wanted to see what I could do.”

The 2016 AL ERA champion, Sanchez allowed two runs and two hits in a 25-pitch first inning that night before being replaced. After making three minor league rehab starts, he will throw a side session Thursday in Toronto. If that goes well, Sanchez will be activated off the 60-day disabled list to start against Philadelphia on Saturday.

Sanchez (3-5, 3.52) said part of the reason he stayed quiet about his injury was the attention Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez received for spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee while carrying a suitcase up the stairs in his home just before opening day. Perez did not return until April 24.

“I didn’t want to say it then because I saw Salvador Perez go down with the same injury and I didn’t want to get laughed at,” Sanchez said.

This isn’t Sanchez’s first struggle with an injury to his pitching hand. He endured multiple stints on the disabled list because of blister and fingernail issues last season, pitching just 36 innings over eight starts.

Cubs put Russell on DL with sprained finger

The Chicago Cubs have put infielder Addison Russell on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained left middle finger.

The Cubs announced the move Wednesday before their game at Detroit. The move is retroactive to Monday.

Chicago also added infielder Daniel Murphy to the 25-man roster. He was acquired Tuesday in a trade with Washington .

Russell is hitting .259 with five home runs and 37 RBIs this season. He’s hit at least 12 homers in each of his previous three seasons in the majors.

Murphy is set to bat leadoff for Chicago on Wednesday night, playing second base. He’s hitting .300 with six homers and 29 RBIs in 56 games so far this year.