CINCINNATI, Ohio — If

Fausto Carmona

is placed on the disabled list as expected after straining his right quadriceps muscle Saturday in a fall at first base, the Indians are going to have to dip into their pitching staff at Class AAA Columbus to find a replacement.

They'll have several choices:

Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, who has already been up once this year, is 8-2 with a 2.49 ERA in 12 starts. He's struck out 68, walked 27 and allowed 71 hits in 79 2/3 innings. The opposition is hitting .247 against him.

Left-hander David Huff is 8-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 14 starts. He's struck out 51, walked 23 and allowed 89 hits in 84 1/3 innings. The opposition is hitting .267 against him.

Right-hander Zach McAllister is 8-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 15 starts. He has 71 strikeouts, 21 walks and has allowed 86 hits in 97 innings.

Left-hander Scott Barnes is 7-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 14 games, including 13 starts. He's struck out 82, walked 31 and allowed 66 hits in 76 2/3 innings.

Carmona's next start is scheduled for Thursday against Toronto at Progressive Field.

Saturday was the halfway point of the Indians' season. They stayed in first place in the American League Central thanks to a 3-1 victory over the Reds, but they continue to be hit hard with injuries.

They lost right fielder Shin-Soo Choo at the start of this trip to a broken left thumb. He'll be out for eight to 10 weeks.

Center fielder Grady Sizemore returned from the disabled list for the second time on May 27, but still hasn't rediscovered his swing. DH Travis Hafner missed almost a month with a strained right oblique muscle. Alex White, who probably would have been the front office's choice to replace Carmona, is on the disabled list with a strained tendon in the middle finger of his right hand. First baseman Matt LaPorta is still on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle.

"I'm very impressed what these guys have been able to accomplish as a team," said Indians manager Manny Acta. "When you take into consideration the injuries we've had, these guys have kept battling.

"We've weathered a lot of storms. It's been impressive."

Sign here: Baseball America reported that the Indians have signed 16-year-old shortstop Dorssys Paulino for $1.1 million. Paulino is an international free-agent in the Dominican Republic.

The Indians are close to a deal, but since Paulino is only 16, his parents have to sign the contract. John Mirabelli, Indians director of scouting, is in the Dominican, but the deal isn't done yet.

Easy does it: Outfielder Travis Buck will miss two to three games with a "mild strain" of his left hamstring. He suffered the injury Friday running to first base after hitting a two-run single in the fifth inning.

"I was thinking double and just as I went to switch gears, I felt it," Buck said. "We've got nine games left before the break and I'd like to play in as many as I can."

After a long slump, Buck was 6-for-14 on this nine-game trip when he was injured.

It's a race: When Carmona left Saturday's game after reaching first on a attempted sacrifice bunt, but injuring himself in the process, right-hander Josh Tomlin pinch ran for him.

Tomlin scored on Michael Brantley's three-run homer. It's the first time he's scored a run in the big leagues.

Asked how he picked Tomlin, Acta said: "It was between him and Mitch Talbot. Naturally, one put his spikes on quicker than the other one."

Finally: No word on whether the Indians are interested in outfielder Mike Cameron, who was released this week by the Boston Red Sox. . . . Heard the Chicago Cubs would be more than willing to talk to the Tribe about outfielder Kosuke Fukudome.

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

Twitter: @hoynsie