LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers purchased the contract of infielder Justin Sellers from their Triple-A Albuquerque affiliate on Friday to fill the roster spot vacated by rookie shortstop Dee Gordon, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised right shoulder he suffered last weekend and aggravated earlier this week.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Sellers, who can play second, third and shortstop, will see action at all three spots and will share time at short with Jamey Carroll. Sellers started Friday night's game against the Houston Astros at shortstop because Mattingly wanted to give Carroll a rest.
Sellers was one of several competitors for a utility infield spot during spring training, but ultimately missed the cut and was reassigned to minor league camp. He will be making his major league debut after hitting .304 with 14 homers, 49 RBIs, 57 runs and a .400 on-base percentage in 89 games this season for the Isotopes, who play in a high-altitude city and are members of the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
Sellers was told by Albuquerque manager Lorenzo Bundy on Wednesday night, shortly after the decision was made to shelve Gordon, that he was headed up. DeJon Watson, the Dodgers assistant general manager for player development, also was there for the conversation.
"It's amazing," said Sellers, who grew up in Huntington Beach. "I couldn't really sleep the past couple of nights, I was so excited. I am from Southern California, too, so this is a dream come true. It's overwhelming."
The Dodgers actually planned to promote Sellers to the majors for the first time during last year's September roster expansion -- going so far as to inform him that he was going up -- before abruptly changing their minds when they learned he had left the previous night's game with a left-groin injury.
"DeJon called me and told me I was coming up," Sellers said. "Then he called me back and told me to hold off. That was pretty tough, but this is even better."
The Dodgers acquired Sellers, 25, from the Chicago Cubs for cash on April 2, 2009.
Gordon underwent an MRI on Wednesday that showed nothing more serious than bruising in his shoulder, which he jammed when he tried to break his fall with his right hand while diving into the back of Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Kelly Johnson to tag Johnson at the end of a rundown play on Saturday night in Phoenix.
The Dodgers' 40-man roster is now at full capacity.
Tony Jackson covers the Dodgers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.