Phillies place Placido Polanco on the DL

Philadelphia placed third baseman Placido Polanco on the disabled list on Thursday with a back injury. Polanco had been rumored to be on the trade block.

Placido Polanco is hitting .255/.300/.328 for the Phillies this season. (US Presswire)

The Phillies may still sell at the trade deadline, but it won't be selling Placido Polanco, as the team placed its third baseman on the 15-day disabled list with lower back inflammation. The move is retroactive to Monday.

Polanco, 36, is hitting just .255/.300/.328 with two home runs this season and could be a free agent afte rthe season.  A three-time Gold Glove winner, Polanco can man second or third and would be valuable for any team looking for infield help. Now, though, the Phillies will have to see if he will clear waivers before they try to trade him before Aug. 31.

Polanco is in the third year of a three-year deal, earning $6.25 million with a $5.5 million mutual option for 2013.

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