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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:10 p.m., Friday, July 4, 2008

Baseball: Padres' Barrett goes on DL, will require surgery

Associated Press

PHOENIX — San Diego catcher Michael Barrett will require surgery for facial fractures and may be out six weeks.

The Padres placed Barrett on the 15-day disabled list today and purchased the contract of catcher Nick Hundley from Triple-A Portland. The 24-year-old Hundley was scheduled to make his major league debut on Friday night at Arizona.

Barrett left Wednesday night's game at Colorado in the third inning after fouling a ball off his face. He returned to San Diego and was examined at Scripps Clinic on Thursday.

"I think the early word is that he'll have to have some plates and screws in the area," Padres manager Bud Black said. "They do expect a full recovery, however.

"Everything with the eye is fine, which is a great thing, because the eye was a little bit swollen as well from the blow," Black said. "But he's recovering. He's doing well — as we as he can."

Barrett missed 19 games in August 2007 with a concussion, but Black said the catcher had not suffered another concussion this time.

Barrett joins another Padres catcher, Josh Bard, on the DL. Bard has missed 39 games with a sprained left ankle.

That leaves the Padres with two rookies behind the plate. San Diego's other catcher is Luke Carlin, who made his major league debut on May 10, catching Greg Maddux's 350th career victory.

Hundley hit .232 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs in 58 games with Portland this season.

The Padres also recalled infielder Luis Rodriguez from Portland and optioned righty Clay Hensley to Portland.