ANAHEIM -- The Angels placed third baseman Yunel Escobar on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring. He is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks.
Escobar sustained the injury while running the bases in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers. Manager Mike Scioscia said Escobar tweaked his hamstring after legging out a single in the fifth inning and then felt more discomfort after scoring from second on a base hit from Jose Pujols.
The 34-year-old infielder underwent an MRI on Sunday, which revealed the diagnosis. The news is a significant blow for the Angels, as Escobar had been one of the club's most productive hitters, batting .272 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in the leadoff spot.
"Escobar kind of sets the pace at the top of the order," Scioscia said. "We're going to miss Yunel for as long as he's out."
Luis Valbuena started at third Sunday and seems projected to garner most of the playing time there in Escobar's absence. Valbuena has mostly played first base for the Angels this season, but the majority of his Major League appearances have come at third. Cliff Pennington and Jefry Marte are also options at the hot corner, and Scioscia said the division of playing time will likely depend on matchups.
"We'll definitely have enough depth to rotate some guys and get them off their feet," Scioscia said. "But we also need to establish some continuity. We want to try to get guys comfortable at their spots and swinging the bats like they can."