Ruf has broken bone in wrist

A week after the Phillies said Darin Ruf did not sustain any breaks or fractures in his right knee or left wrist following an outfield collision at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 2, the diagnosis on the slugging first baseman/outfielder has changed.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Thursday afternoon that Ruf has a small fracture in his left wrist. A Phils representative said that Amaro said that it does not change the timetable on Ruf's eventual return.

But, there never was a timetable on Ruf's return. The last update on Ruf came six days ago in Cincinnati, when assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said there was still swelling in his right knee and that he wouldn't be reexamined again until Monday.

When asked how that exam went on Tuesday, Ryne Sandberg did not have an update on Ruf's status. But with the news that Ruf has a broken bone in his left hand, it's unlikely he will be playing games for another month.

Ruf, who turns 28 next month, has been limited to 62 plate appearances this season between the major and minor leagues. He began the season on the DL with an oblique strain.

Ruf didn't play in his first game with the Phillies until May 21.

The latest development in Ruf's injury-plagued 2014 is not a good one for a Phillies team desperate for more production from its outfield. Domonic Brown, an All-Star last season, entered Thursday hitless in his last 9 at-bats and hitting .211 on the season.

Brown's .571 OPS ranks 166th of the 168 major league players that qualify. Among major league outfielders, Brown's OPS ranks 62nd out of 62 players and his .311 slugging percentage ranks 60th, seven slots below teammate Ben Revere (.351 SLG, 53rd).

If healthy, Ruf could have been an alternative in left field for Brown. Ruf hit .247 with 14 home runs and an .806 OPS in 73 games with the Phillies last season.

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