The Associated Press

Philadelphia rookie center fielder Marlon Byrd was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an injured left knee Monday and reliever Turk Wendell and outfielder Jason Michaels were activated Monday.

Reliever Eric Junge was also sent down to Triple-A Scranton.

Byrd cut his knee sliding into home plate during Sunday's 13-1 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. He was batting .161 (5-for-31) with four RBI. Ricky Ledee replaced Byrd in the starting lineup Monday night against the Florida Marlins.

Wendell hasn't pitched in the majors since 2001 after having elbow surgery last year. He has a 3.90 ERA in 484 career games with the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Phillies.

RANGERS: Texas Rangers players signed a jersey Monday to send to Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young Jr., one of the seven American POWs rescued over the weekend.

Young is the cousin of Rangers catcher Todd Greene's wife.

The 26-year-old Young, an Apache helicopter pilot, was shot down in central Iraq on March 23. He and six other POWs were released by Iraqi troops Sunday.

The Rangers signed a No. 1 jersey that has Young's name on the back of it.

• Outfielder Kevin Mench was sent to Double-A Frisco for a rehabilitation assignment Monday.

The Rangers also transferred outfielder Rusty Greer from the 15-day disabled list to 60-day DL. Greer is expected to miss the entire season because of several injuries.

Mench has been sidelined since March 20, when he strained a muscle in his left side during spring training.

As a rookie last season, Mench hit .260 with 15 homers and 60 RBI.

THIGPEN INJURED: Former star reliever Bobby Thigpen fell down a staircase while leaving an NHL playoff game last week and needed surgery to stop internal bleeding.

"He is doing very well," wife Keri Thigpen said Monday. "He is stable and is able to sit up in a chair."

The 39-year-old Thigpen, who saved a record 57 games for the Chicago White Sox in 1990 and last played in the majors in 1994, was injured at the Washington-Tampa Bay game Thursday.

His wife said he sustained internal injuries.

YANKEES: Pitcher Jeff Weaver appealed the $1,000 fine he received for throwing near the head of Detroit's Carlos Pena in a March 24 exhibition game.