Yesterday, the San Francisco 49ers placed TE Vance McDonald on the injured reserve list. Today, it was C Daniel Kilgore's turn. The team announced today that the center has also been placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Kilgore is the 12th 49ers player to be placed on injured reserve.
To take his spot on the roster, the 49ers have promoted OL Alex Balducci. OL Mitchell Van Dyk has been signed to take Balducci's place on the practice squad.
McDonald was placed on injured reserve just three days after signing a five-year extension with the team. Both Kilgore and McDonald were injured during Sunday's overtime loss to the New York Jets. In the first quarter of play, Kilgore went down but was able to slowly walk off of the field on his own.
On Monday, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly did not have an update on either player but expressed that the two injuries were the ones that concerned him the most. "We've got to find out about Kilgore and Vance today," Kelly told reporters. "Those would be the two that would be the most pressing to find out if they'd be able to go here. Those are the ones I'm most concerned about."
Kilgore, who was drafted out of Appalachian State by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, has started all 13 of the team's games this season.
Balducci was originally signed by the 49ers in May as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Oregon. He was waived during final roster cuts and then signed to the 49ers' practice squad, where he has remained this season. He will wear number 75 with the team.
Van Dyk was originally drafted by the then-St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Months later, he was waived and then signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent the entire 2015 season on their injured reserve list. The Steelers released Van Dyk in February and he joined the Indianapolis Colts but did not make the final roster.