Rays INF Taylor Walls on IL

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique muscle.

The Rays made the move ahead of Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. Walls did not play Friday, so the move is retroactive to July 21.

Walls, 27, has strong defensive skills and the versatility to move between second, third and shortstop. He put up some big numbers early in the season, hitting .306 in April, but he hasn't hit above .200 in any subsequent month. He's batting .211 in 242 at-bats over 79 games with seven home runs and 27 RBIs.

In a corresponding move, Vidal Brujan was called up from Triple-A Durham. In 54 major league at bats this year, Brujan, 25, is hitting .204, but his abilities as a switch-hitting utilityman may be helpful in Walls' absence.

Saturday's news follows Friday's announcement that the Rays lost catcher Francisco Mejia, 27, for three to six weeks with an MCL sprain of his left knee.

The Rays and Orioles were tied for first place in the American League East going into Saturday's game.