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UPDATE 4/3 5:00 p.m. ET: Ludwick has officially been placed on the 15-day DL with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
The Reds have purchased the contract of outfielder Derrick Robinson from Triple-A to take Ludwick's spot on the active roster. The switch-hitting Robinson, 25, was acquired in early January on a minor-league deal after six seasons in the Royals' organization.
He hit .268/.344/.325 with just two home runs in 116 games at Triple-A last year. Robinson's first appearance for the Reds will be his MLB debut.
UPDATE 4/2 4:30 p.m. ET: Bad news for Reds fans. Ryan Ludwick's MRI results revealed torn cartilage in his right shoulder, which means the outfielder is headed under the knife on Wednesday, the team has announced.
Ludwick will be placed on the 15-day disabled list and will spend at least three months on the sidelines, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, meaning the earliest he will return is early July. The Reds also announced that they will make a corresponding roster move before Wednesday evening's game, but Nightengale hears that the team will promote outfielder Derrick Robinson.
Until anything official is announced, I'm holding out hope that Cincinnati calls up top prospect and base-stealing wizard Billy Hamilton.
ORIGINAL: Cincinnati Reds left fielder Ryan Ludwick exited today's Opening Day contest against the Los Angeles Angels after dislocating his right shoulder, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
Sheldon adds that Ludwick will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of his shoulder injury. The outfielder sustained the dislocation during the third inning of today's contest while sliding head-first into third base.
Rangers extend Andrus
The Rangers and shortstop Elvis Andrus agreed on an eight-year, $120 million contract extension.
Ludwick was replaced by Chris Heisey, who is likely to see significant playing time following the injury.
The Reds signed Ludwick to a two-year, $15 million contract this offseason after his impressive 2012 campaign. Last year, the 34-year-old hit .275/.346/.531 with 28 doubles and 26 home runs over 472 plate appearances. He's earning $2 million this year and $8.5 million in 2014, while his deal includes a $9 million mutual option with a $4.5 million buyout for '15.
If Ludwick is forced to miss a significant period of time due to the injury, the Reds could go in several different directions as far as replacements go. Heisey is the current option, but Billy Hamilton is expected to reach the majors at some point this season. If Cincinnati decides to look outside the organization, they could target recent roster casualties Casper Wells or Ryan Sweeney.
