TORONTO (AP) -The Oakland Athletics placed Justin Duchscherer on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with an inflamed biceps and held Rich Harden out of his scheduled start because of a strained muscle in his upper arm.
Harden is expected to be healthy in time to pitch at Cleveland on Saturday.
Right-hander Chad Gaudin was activated off the disabled list to start in Harden’s place against the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Gaudin was placed on the disabled list March 25, retroactive to March 19, because of lingering pain from offseason foot and hip surgery.
Duchscherer, a righty, left his first start in four years last Friday against Cleveland in the sixth inning because of pain in his arm. An MRI Sunday revealed the inflammation. Duchscherer, who missed much of last season with a hip injury, said he will play catch Wednesday or Thursday if he is pain free.
Duchscherer got the win against the Indians, allowing a run and four hits in five innings with six strikeouts.
Oakland also purchased the contract of Greg Smith from Triple-A Sacramento. The left-hander was scheduled to join the team in Toronto on Tuesday and will be added to the roster in time to pitch in Duchscherer’s place Wednesday.
Duchscherer made three starts in September 2003 for Oakland before being moved to the bullpen. He excelled there, becoming an All-Star in 2005 before missing the final 125 games a year ago with a strained right hip.
The right-handed Harden (1-0) also underwent an MRI on Sunday because of pain he felt in a side session after Oakland returned from a season-opening series in Japan. He was able to pitch five scoreless innings against Boston on April 2, but the pain persisted.
“I got through the last game with it and it was OK but they wanted me to take a couple of extra days,” Harden said. “I was trying to push myself through it, maximum effort on every pitch but it wasn’t coming out consistent.”
Harden was limited to seven games for Oakland last season because of injuries and has made five trips to the disabled list in the past three years.
“We’ve always been real cautious with him,” manager Bob Geren said.
A former Blue Jays pitcher, Gaudin was 11-13 with a 4.42 ERA in 34 starts for Oakland last season. He has no record in nine career games against his former team.
Smith was a sixth-round pick by Arizona in 2005 and traded to Oakland last winter in the deal that sent right-hander Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks.
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