Riske moved to 60-day DL

The Brewers on Thursday morning formally made the roster moves they previewed last night. The team purchased Chris Smith’s contract from Triple-A Nashville, opened a spot on the 25-man roster by placing Mark DiFelice on the bereavement list and opened a spot on the 40-man roster by shifting injured reliever David Riske to the 60-day DL.

Smith will be wearing No. 52 tonight against the Marlins.

DiFelice, who has not pitched since Sunday because of a sore elbow, can spend a maximum of seven days on the bereavement list but he hopes to return a few days early. He will leave the team on Saturday to attend his grandmother’s funeral on Sunday in Philadelphia. Monday is an off-day for the Brewers, who return to host the Rockies on Tuesday at Miller Park.

I don’t think there’s any significance to the decision to tab Riske for the 60-day DL instead of Rickie Weeks. Brewers officials say both are out for the season, and Riske has no chance of bucking that pronouncement because he underwent Tommy John surgery on Tuesday. Weeks underwent wrist surgery, and some of his teammates admit they are holding out a glimmer of hope that Weeks will return very late in the season, like Yovani Gallardo did last year.

GM Doug Melvin has been asked about that possibility and said it wouldn’t happen. Weeks, he reiterated, is out for the season.