Robertson (sore right knee) heads to IL

OAKLAND -- The Rays placed infielder Daniel Robertson on the 10-day injured list Saturday and sent him back to the Tampa Bay area to have his right knee examined.

Robertson last played on Wednesday, when he was 0-for-2 with a walk during a 12-1 loss to the Yankees. That was his first game since June 14. He has struggled throughout June, with a .179 average (5-for-28), one double and no RBIs. Robertson is hitting just .202 for the season.

Manager Kevin Cash said the soreness in Robertson's knee wasn't improving.

"We'll get him looked at," Cash said. "He was trying to manage the pain, but it wasn't going away."

Robertson boarded a flight Saturday morning.

Putting Robertson on the IL was one of a series of roster moves the Rays made. Tampa Bay also optioned right-hander Austin Pruitt to Triple-A Durham, recalled left-hander Adam Kolarek and selected infielder Mike Brosseau from Durham. Brosseau's first game with the Rays will be his major-league debut.

Intrigue surrounds Brosseau
Brosseau is in his fourth year in the Rays' organization after signing as a non-drafted free agent in 2016. He was leading the International League with 57 RBIs to go along with a .313/.406/.579 batting line. He had 20 doubles and 14 home runs for Durham.

"There's a lot of organizational excitement about him," Cash said. "He's created this path for himself. But credit obviously goes to our player development people for helping him along. He's shown an ability to get on base, and his at-bats have been tremendous throughout the season.

"Hopefully, he can provide a spark."

The Rays began the day with a 9-12 record in June. They are in jeopardy of ending a streak of five straight winning months extending back to last season.

The lefty Kolarek was down for only two days before being called back up. He has a 4.78 ERA for the season but a 7.04 ERA since May 7, when his ERA was 1.64.