Houston Astros: Astros second baseman Jose Vizcaino will be sidelined four-to-six weeks with a broken left wrist.

Vizcaino was hurt when he was hit by a pitch from left-handed reliever Stephen Randolph in the seventh inning of Houston's 12-5 loss to Arizona on Tuesday night.

"As soon as he hit me, I knew it was something bad,'' Vizcaino said. "I heard a pop. It was really painful, so I knew there was something wrong.''

The injury further depleted the Astros' ailing infield. Second baseman Jeff Kent has missed six games in a row with tendinitis in his left wrist.

To help fill the void, manager Jimy Williams said infielder Eric Bruntlett was being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans. Bruntlett can play either second or shortstop, Williams said.

Geoff Blum was shifted from third to second to finish Tuesday night's game.

Asked if there was a chance that Craig Biggio might be moved temporarily back to second from the outfield, Williams answered with an emphatic no.

"He's our center fielder,'' Williams said.

Boston Red Sox: Outfielder Gabe Kapler signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Kapler, who has not played since being released by the Colorado Rockies on June 19, will report to Single-A Lowell on Thursday because it is the only Red Sox farm team playing in the area that day.

"We have major league interest, but it's a minor league contract,'' Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "Gabe wanted a chance to play for a winning team. That was more important to him than pure playing time.''

Kapler is a career .270 hitter with 51 homers, 101 doubles, 225 RBI and 57 stolen bases in parts of six major league seasons with Detroit, Texas and Colorado. He hit .224 with 10 runs, two doubles, four RBI and two stolen bases in 39 games with the Rockies this season.

The Red Sox will also try him at first base.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers will get a $500 repair bill from the San Francisco Giants after Los Angeles closer Eric Gagne broke a telephone in the visiting dugout at Pacific Bell Park on Monday night.

Gagne was angry after giving up the winning run in the 11th inning of the Giants' 3-2 win over the Dodgers. Barry Bonds drew a walk and stole second base -- the 500th steal of his career -- before scoring on Benito Santiago's single.

A San Francisco team spokesman said the Dodgers would be charged for the phone. Gagne wasn't available for comment Tuesday night.

New York Yankees: Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams could take batting practice Wednesday for the first since undergoing knee surgery last month.

Williams had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee May 27. He could rejoin the team by the All-Star break.

"Bernie is getting excited,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said before Tuesday's game at Tampa Bay. "Tomorrow I think he's going to try and get in the batting cage and take a few swings during batting practice. I sense Bernie is going to be (back) around the break. One side or the other.''

The five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner has been working out with the team during a four-game series against the Devil Rays.

There is no timetable for when first baseman-designated hitter Nick Johnson will return from a stress fracture in his right hand. He hurt himself swinging on May 14 and had a cast removed last Friday.

"I have no idea,'' Johnson said of a possible return date. "It's weak. Over the last couple days, there's a big difference. Since I've gotten (the cast) off, it's gotten a lot better.''

Torre doesn't expect Johnson to return for at least a few weeks.

Minnesota Twins: J.C. Romero hasn't been the dominant left-handed reliever he was for the Minnesota Twins last year, and one factor in that might be his health.

Bothered by a sore groin for most of this month, Romero had an MRI test done on the muscle Tuesday that revealed nothing wrong. It's just, apparently, fatigue.

"There's no sense in putting him on the disabled list,'' manager Ron Gardenhire said before Tuesday's game against Chicago. "He can pitch.''

Romero, 9-2 with a 1.91 ERA in a team-high 81 appearances last season, is 2-0 with a 4.11 ERA in 30 2-3 innings after throwing a scoreless inning against the White Sox.

As a result, righty LaTroy Hawkins and lefty Johan Santana -- when he's not getting a spot start -- have become the Twins' top setup men for closer Eddie Guardado.

Cleveland Indians: Infielder Ricky Gutierrez completed his comeback from offseason surgery when he was activated the from the 60-day disabled list.

Gutierrez had been sidelined all season after neck and back surgery in October. Doctors fused two vertebrae in Gutierrez's neck to relieve pressure on his spinal cord.

To make room for Gutierrez, the Indians optioned infielder Jhonny Peralta to Triple-A Buffalo.

After starting the season in extended spring training in Florida, Gutierrez reported to Buffalo for a rehab assignment June 5 and batted .292 with five RBI in 16 games.

Gutierrez can play second, third and short, but with Omar Vizquel on the disabled list and utilityman John McDonald nursing a sore back, the Indians likely will use Gutierrez mostly at shortstop.

St. Louis Cardinals: Backup catcher Chris Widger will begin a 10-day rehab assignment in the next few days, working on some new positions as the team tries to figure out a way to keep him.

The Cardinals already have two catchers, Mike Matheny and Joe Girardi, and manager Tony La Russa doesn't want to carry three along with a 12-man pitching staff. So Widger, on the disabled list since June 7 because of a bruised nerve in his right thumb, must prove his value elsewhere if he wants to stay with St. Louis.

Widger took ground balls at first base before Tuesday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds and will concentrate on that position and the outfield during his rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis. He'll also catch pitcher Russ Springer (elbow), due to begin a rehab assignment Thursday.

Widger is hoping to fill the role held by Eli Marrero, a backup catcher who branched out to the outfield before going on the DL with torn ankle ligaments May 13.

"I guess I'll do a little bit of what Eli was doing," Widger said. "Apparently they would like for me to stay here, but there's just no way to do that right now. This lets them buy some time and at worst it gets me back in playing shape, and that's what I want."

The 10-day rehab is half of what the Cardinals wanted. It's a compromise for Widger, who said last week that he wouldn't accept a minor league assignment.

"We like him, and he needs to get in shape," La Russa said. "No matter where he goes, he needs to get some timing, so it seems to make sense to use our situation."

If Widger's rehab experiment is successful, outfielder Kerry Robinson could be vulnerable. Robinson has been demoted twice already this season and was batting .186 in 70 at-bats with no homers and three RBI.