Multiple hits to head put Yasmani Grandal on concussion DL

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers placed catcher Yasmani Grandal on the seven-day concussion disabled list Saturday following his removal from Friday night's game against the Colorado Rockies.

The Dodgers are calling it a mild concussion and expect Grandal to be ready to play in a few days. However, aside from not wanting to be short on the bench and at catcher, the team elected to be extra cautious with its starting catcher.

Grandal was hit across his jaw on a backswing from Yangervis Solarte in the third inning Friday. An inning later,Matt Kemp hit a foul ball off Grandal's mask. It was the first incident that jarred Grandal, manager Don Mattingly said.

The catcher stayed in the game and batted in the bottom half of the fourth inning, but Mattingly and trainer Stan Conte did not like Grandal's "funny" mannerisms during the at-bat, as he stepped out of the batter's box twice to gather himself.

"It was a tweener as far as it feels like in a couple of days he's going to be totally fine and ready," Mattingly said. "But we wanted to err on the side of caution and make sure we take care of him."

Grandal was alert and answered all the medical staff's questions Friday. He came in for tests Saturday morning and again was normal.

But as concussions in all sports become more closely monitored, the Dodgers were not willing to risk putting Grandal back in the lineup before he was ready. Mattingly cited Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau's multiple concussions, which have altered the path of his career and currently have him on the seven-day DL. Mattingly also noted St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny had to retire because of concussion symptoms.

"We think about Mike Matheny, and it took him a long time to come back. You see Justin Morneau; it's taken him a long time to come back," Mattingly said. "We have to take it very seriously and see how [Grandal] feels."

Aside from being as advertised with his pitch framing -- leading the majors in that area, according to Baseball Prospectus -- Grandal has been the team's best hitter in May. He is hitting .400 with a .492 OBP, a 1.152 OPS, three home runs and 10 walks. He is second on the team with 20 walks and third with a .403 OBP for the season.

Considering the Dodgers have scored four runs in their last six games, the fourth-lowest output over that many games in franchise history, losing Grandal could be a significant blow if the offense can't find itself.

The Dodgers recalled catcher Austin Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Barnes was part of the trade that sent Dee Gordon and Dan Haren to the Miami Marlins in December.