Trying to hang on to their slim lead in the American League Central, the Cleveland Guardians lost two starting pitchers to injury on Friday.

Both Zach Plesac (broken hand) and Aaron Civale (forearm inflammation) were placed on the 15-day injured list before Cleveland, which leads Minnesota by just one game, opened a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.

Plesac was supposed to start Friday’s opener, but the righthander was scratched about four hours before the scheduled first pitch. Guardians manager Terry Francona said Plesac, who has been plagued by a lack of run support this season, fractured his fifth metacarpal when he punched the ground in frustration after giving up a homer against the Mariners last weekend.

Plesac's palm had been swollen for a few days, and when the team had him undergo imaging tests, the fracture was revealed.

Rookie Cody Morris made his major league debut against the Mariners.

Francona said the “best-case” scenario is Plesac is placed in a splint and only misses one week. The Guardians plan to have him examined soon by renowned hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham.

Plesac is just 3-11 with a 4.39 ERA in 23 starts.

This will be the third trip to the injured list this season for Civale, a Northeastern product. The righthander missed time with a wrist sprain and then with a strained glute. He’s 2-6 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 games.

“He’s had a lot of things that have kind of gotten in the way,” Francona said.

Civale had initially feared he had something wrong with his elbow and was relieved to learn it was just swelling in his forearm.

“It’s musculature,” Francona said. “But when that happens, you know you get some swelling in that area, it can set off whether it’s the nerve or whatever. It kind of makes it a little angry in there.”

Francona said the plan is for the medication to take effect before Civale throws again. He'll be eligible to return on Sept. 14.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo will miss a pivotal three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend after getting an epidural shot for lingering lower back pain.

DJ LeMahieu (himself bothered by a toe injury) started in place of Rizzo, who got the injection a day earlier in California. The Yankees completed a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.

Rizzo will rehab Saturday and Sunday in New York and possibly resume baseball activities Monday. Manager Aaron Boone hasn’t ruled out the slugger returning Tuesday.

“Really optimistic that this is going do the trick and be what helps him moving forward,” Boone said before the series opener with the Rays. “This is something that should give him a lot of relief the rest of the way this season.”

The 33-year-old Rizzo has hit 30 home runs this season. He’s batting .225 with 71 RBIs. New York, which once held a 15½-game lead in the AL East, started Friday six up on the Rays.

Also for New York, shortstop prospect Oswald Peraza could make his first major league start Saturday. He may also get playing time at second.

Detroit outfielder Austin Meadows revealed he has been dealing with mental health issues along with physical ailments and will not play again this season.

“This season has been an unfortunate struggle with a series of injuries and illness, from dealing with vertigo early on, then COVID, then bilateral tendinitis in my Achilles, and then having to go through the rehab process each time,” he posted on social media. “What I have told very few people is that I also have been struggling with my mental health in a way that has extended my time away from the game I love so much.”

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch has known of Meadows’ mental health issues for several weeks, and addressed the subject with teammates on Friday.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Austin in the last couple of weeks,” Hinch said. “We’ll offer him all the support we can, and we have been.”

Meadows has appeared in 36 games this season, batting .250 with no homers and 11 RBIs. He was acquired from Tampa Bay in a trade at the end of spring training to give the Tigers’ lineup an offensive boost. Meadows had 27 home runs and 106 RBIs last season for the Rays.

“He’s going to continue to be around the team when we’re home and continue to work with the people behind the scenes,” Hinch said. “He’s on a great path. He surrounded by a lot of great people. He’s got a ton of support and his statement speaks for itself.”

San Francisco captain Brandon Belt told reporters he will have season-ending surgery on his right knee Saturday, his third procedure on the knee in seven years and one that sends him into free agency from the sidelines. The 34-year-old hit a career-worst .213/.326/.350 in 78 games this season, battling inflammation in the knee throughout the year, and hasn’t played since Aug. 20. Belt has spent his entire 12-year MLB career with the Giants, and is playing with them this year on an $18.4 million qualifying offer following a 29-homer 2021.

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