DENVER—Left-handed reliever Alan Embree had surgery Saturday to repair a broken right leg, and the Colorado Rockies recalled right-handed reliever Matt Belisle from Triple-A Colorado Springs to fill Embree’s roster spot.
Embree, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list, was injured Friday night when he was struck by a line drive off the bat of the Atlanta Braves’ Martin Pardo in the seventh inning of the Rockies’ 4-1 loss.
Manager Jim Tracy described the surgery as “very, very successful,” and said there was a chance Embree, 39, could return in September.
“We won’t rule anything out. Let’s take it day by day,” Tracy said.
Tracy said doctors inserted a titanium rod to stabilize the spiral fracture of the tibia and that Embree would not require a cast.
“He’ll be able to be weight-bearing on the leg in a matter of days,” Tracy said. “He’ll be able to walk on it, and that’s very encouraging, obviously. But it was ugly when it happened.”
Belisle is back with the Rockies for the second time this season. He was optioned to Colorado Springs on May 25 after going 1-1 with an 8.31 ERA in 14 relief appearances.
Tracy said Belisle appears to have straightened out some glitches in his mechanics over the last seven weeks while with Colorado Springs. In his last 10 relief appearances for the Sky Sox, he was 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA.
