CENTRAL ISLIP, NY— When injuries or unexpected emergencies occur during a major league season, teams can usually complete a trade for established veterans to fill the void. But trades are rarer in the Atlantic League, forcing the league’s eight teams to look elsewhere to bolster a lineup or pitching staff if a player leaves the club or gets hurt.

That’s the route the Ducks took after losing Damian Rolls to a season ending thumb injury. To fill that void, manager Dave LaPoint signed utility player Dionys Cesar from Mexico. The 30-year-old made a splash in his debut, finishing 2-4 with a RBI and a run scored in a victory over Somerset on Friday.

Looking to play off that successful start, LaPoint again batted Cesar eighth and put him at third base Saturday night before the Ducks surrendered a lead in a 9-5 loss to York. Standing in a clubhouse hallway with ice on his arm after the game, the newest Duck concisely summarized his feelings since flying north from his home in the Dominican Republic.

“I feel sore,” Cesar said with a laugh. “It will take a couple of days to get used to. I was at home for awhile. My swig’s still kind of slow.”

Cesar played 100 of his 106 games for Monterrey as an outfielder in 2006. He also played third base as a minor leaguer in the A’s, Brewers and Expos organization, recording a career .291 batting average in 1,248 minor league games before 2007.

Before coming to Suffolk County, the Santo Domingo resident was in his third season south of the border, batting .282 in 25 games with ten doubles and 14 RBI. He got a call from LaPoint, who first tried to bring him to the United States two years ago, but Cesar already signed to play in Taiwan at the time.

“He’s been on my radar for about four years,” LaPoint said. “He keeps going down to Mexico and makes a lot more money. He’s one of the types that I like. He’s a switch hitter who can play infield [and] outfield and he can run.

The Mexican league is considered to be a Triple-A level, making Cesar’s 73 stolen bases from 2005-06 even more impressive. Despite playing nearly 80 games, no Duck player had a double-digit stolen base total. Their 41 stolen bases was just one ahead of the Road Warriors for the league’s worst mark entering yesterday’s contest.

With no real speedster on the roster, Cesar’s ability to run gives the Ducks’ lineup a different dynamic, which could lead to more run-producing chances for Jose Offerman and Ray Navarrete. The 5-10, 150-pound switch hitter exemplified that speed was his two-out steal of third against the Revolution, making it without a throw.

“Dionys adds speed and an extra spark to our lineup, both at the plate and on the base paths,” said general manager Michael Pfaff. “He’ll play an important role in our efforts to win the second half and reach the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.”

Rolls split time between the outfield and third, batting .247 with two home runs and 30 RBIs in 64 games. The former Devil Ray struggled defensively, making a team-high 10 errors before damaging the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. His absence forced the Ducks to look outside for help. Cesar will look to provide that depth after batting .370 for Monterrey in 2006. Perhaps just as important is his career .358 on-base percentage, strengthening the bottom of the order for a club already 13 games over .500.

“I feel comfortable. It’s happened before where I’ve joined a team in the middle of a year,” Cesar said. “I’ve been playing for a long time. It happens once in awhile.”

Many Ducks have said the independent minor league can be competitive against most Triple-A teams, which should make the competition caliber something Cesar is accustomed to facing.

“It’s kind of different,” he said. “Here, for example, on a 2-0 pitch, I got a fastball. In Mexico, you wouldn’t that. I’ve heard a lot of things about this league from guys that I know. They told me it’s a pretty good league. Some guys have played in the major leagues before. I don’t think it’s going to be easy, but I think I’ll do something to help the team.”