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Associated Press 9y

White Sox RHP Albers goes on DL with injury from brawl

MLB, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals

CHICAGO -- Matt Albers knew something was wrong after he was involved in a benches-clearing brawl between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals on Thursday night.

A day later, it was much worse.

The White Sox placed Albers on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a broken pinkie finger on his right hand. They also promoted right-hander Scott Carroll from Triple-A Charlotte and designated left-hander Eric Surkamp for assignment before the resumption of a suspended game against the Royals.

"All the bullpens kind of came in at the same time and you know everything was kind of happening so fast," Albers said. "Then right after it was all over, I felt that something wasn't right, but I didn't think it was that bad. Then came in the next day and obviously was in pretty good pain, and so got an X-ray and a broken finger."

The simmering tension between the AL Central rivals boiled over in the seventh inning of the series opener. Kansas City pitcher Yordano Ventura fielded a grounder from Chicago outfielder Adam Eaton and the two exchanged words before Eaton was thrown out at first. Eaton had to be restrained from Ventura, who was ejected from his second straight start.

Players from both dugouts and bullpens then ran onto the field, and there were several punches thrown in a melee that lasted several minutes.

Albers, who has no record and a 1.59 ERA in four appearances this season, said he doesn't know how he got hurt.

"I think what they had said and the X-ray and stuff that it looked like it got jammed pretty bad," he said, "so I think that's how it happened. So it wasn't like a punch thrown or anything like that."

The brawl led to six suspensions by Major League Baseball on Saturday, including five games apiece for White Sox pitchers Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija. The top two starters in Chicago's rotation are appealing the punishment, but the addition of Carroll gives the White Sox additional flexibility when it comes time to deal with the absence of the pitchers.

"It's hard to replace two guys in the rotation unless it's staggered," manager Robin Ventura said. "We'll deal with it today and figure out the best way to go about it. At this point, you probably appeal it and go from there and just be able to set it up to have enough arms to get through it."

Ventura said Carroll or prospect Carlos Rodon could draw a spot start with Sale and Samardzija out.

Carroll went 5-10 with a 4.80 ERA in 26 games with the White Sox last year. He was 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts with the Knights at the time of his promotion.

"It's nice to be back here and walk in this clubhouse again and be in this city," Carroll said.

Avisail Garcia's two-out RBI single lifted Chicago to a 3-2 win in the resumption of Friday night's game after it was suspended by rain heading into the ninth inning. Right-hander Daniel Webb was added to the roster as the team's 26th man before Sunday's regularly scheduled game, and then was sent back to Triple-A Charlotte following Chicago's 5-3 victory.

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Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

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