DENVER _ After Jay Bruce missed four of the past five games with a sore right hip, the Mets are putting the right fielder on the 10-day disabled list, sources said.
The Mets called up right-hander Tim Peterson from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Bruce's roster spot.
It's not clear how Bruce's playing time in right will be divvied up in his absence, though Jose Bautista appears to be the primary option. Among players on the 25-man roster with outfield experience: first baseman Dominic Smith and infielder Wilmer Flores, who have minimal reps there.
The move came a day after manager Mickey Callaway acknowledged that Bruce's physical issues _ including this hip problem as well as plantar fasciitis in his left foot _ have affected his performance. He is slashing .212/.292/.321 and hasn't homered since May 7, a span of 113 plate appearances.
As of Monday afternoon, Bruce's hip had not been examined by a doctor.
Bruce sat out Thursday through Saturday against the Diamondbacks, returning Sunday to go 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He woke up "pretty sore" Monday, he said.
Bruce was hesitant to go on the DL at the time but understood it was an option.
"I don't want it to be a situation where I miss a ton of time when I could've nipped it in the bud," Bruce said. "But we'll just have to see. I try to leave those decisions up to (the medical staff) mostly."
