Shortstop Jack Wilson's sprained left middle finger finally sent him to the 15-day disabled list Sunday after causing him to miss four of the previous 10 games.
Shortstop Brian Bixler was recalled from Class AAA Indianapolis to take Wilson's roster spot and will most likely share time at shortstop with veteran utility infielder Ramon Vazquez. "The last couple of days, I started to do things differently to try to compensate for the pain, catching and fielding balls different ways," Wilson said. "It got to the point where it's hurting and not getting better. I needed to get it some rest and hopefully the swelling goes down."
Wilson is hitting .255 with seven RBI in 14 games this season.
The Pirates are hoping Bixler makes a better showing than in his major-league debut last season when he hit a paltry .157 with two RBI in 10 games. Bixler made a strong showing in spring training this year, though, and was hitting .327 with eight RBI in 14 games with Indianapolis.
Bixler matched his RBI total from last season by hitting a two-run double in Sunday's 8-3 win at San Diego while going 1-for-3 with a walk.
PIRATES 8, PADRES 3: Ross Ohlendorf pitched seven solid innings and Adam LaRoche hit two home runs, drove in four runs and scored three times to lead the Pirates to their seventh victory in the last nine games. Ohlendorf (2-2) allowed three runs and five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
