CHICAGO -- Twins catcher Jason Castro was placed on the 7-day concussion disabled list on Thursday after being hit with several foul tips to his facemask during Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox. Outfielder Zack Granite was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take his place on the roster.
Castro was hit by at least three foul tips, including a direct shot from White Sox slugger Jose Abreu in the fourth. He was tested for concussion-like symptoms after leaving the game in the sixth inning and was removed for backup Chris Gimenez.
It's the first time Castro has been placed on the concussion list, but he also suffered a concussion as a rookie in 2010 in a home-plate collision before MLB's concussion protocol was introduced in '11.
"You're definitely going to miss him," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "For me, a good catcher is kind of like umpiring -- when they're doing well you don't really notice. The game's going along cleanly, and they do their job. He's kind of been that guy back there for us. You just hate to see your catchers take that kind of shot."
Castro, though, was in the clubhouse before Thursday's game against the White Sox and will travel with the team to Toronto, as his symptoms have been mild. He mostly dealt with dizziness on Wednesday, and he hasn't had headaches or sensitivity to light.
"It just didn't make sense to take any chances," Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "We have an off-day on Monday, so he might've played four of the six games anyways. The way we look at it is that if he's only missing four games, it's not worth the chance."
Castro, 30, is hitting .229/.327/.370 with seven homers and 36 RBIs in 91 games this season. But Castro's value lies in his defense and ability to work with the pitching staff. With Castro out, Gimenez will split time with rookie Mitch Garver behind the plate. Garver was called up from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, but has yet to start a game behind the plate. He's expected to start Saturday when Dillon Gee takes the mound in Toronto.
"It'll give Chris an opportunity to play a little bit more," Molitor said. "We'll get Mitch in there when I can. I look forward to watching him behind the plate."
Granite, ranked as the club's No. 25 prospect by MLBPipeline.com, gives the Twins an extra outfielder, with Robbie Grossman on the 10-day disabled list with a fractured left thumb. Granite hit .250/.314/.281 in 19 games with the Twins this year.
Worth noting
• Third baseman Miguel Sano, on the DL with a stress reaction in his left shin, continues to rehab in Minnesota. Molitor said the reports are that he's doing better, but it's too soon to say when he'll return.
• Left-handers Hector Santiago (upper back strain) and Adalberto Mejia (biceps strain) both threw bullpen sessions this week, with Santiago throwing on Wednesday and Mejia on Thursday without any issues. Both will throw one more session before beginning a rehab assignment.