TORONTO (AP) -Right-hander A.J. Burnett was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday by the Toronto Blue Jays, who recalled right-hander Ty Taubenheim from Triple-A Syracuse.
Burnett, 5-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 14 starts this season, left his last start in San Francisco on June 12 because of pain in his shoulder. He felt pain again during a throwing session Sunday but was still able to play catch with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg before Tuesday’s game against Los Angeles.
The move was retroactive to June 13. The Blue Jays hope Burnett will be ready to start at Minnesota on June 28, the day he’s eligible to return.
General manager J.P. Ricciardi said Burnett could have made his scheduled start against Colorado on Saturday, but the team decided to “err on the said of caution.” Instead, Saturday’s starter will be the 24-year-old Taubenheim, 3-5 with a 5.63 ERA in 11 starts at Syracuse.
“He’s the hot hand right now,” Ricciardi said. “We’re just going to go with the guy who’s pitching the best.”
Taubenheim made seven starts for Toronto last year, going 1-5 with a 4.89 ERA.
“He pitched OK,” manager John Gibbons said. We liked everything about him out there. We figured it was a matter of time this year before he came up and helped us out.”
Burnett, who had two stints on the disabled list last season, had been the only Toronto starter to take all his turns in the rotation this season. Josh Towers pitched in Burnett’s place against Washington on Sunday.
Twelve Toronto players have spent time on the disabled list this season, including ace Roy Halladay, who missed 18 games following an appendectomy. Left-hander Gustavo Chacin (sore shoulder) and right-handers John Thomson (sore shoulder) and Victor Zambrano (forearm strain) have also missed significant time.
Closer B.J. Ryan is out for the season after reconstructive elbow surgery.
“We’ve been tested a little,” Gibbons said.
The 30-year-old Burnett signed a $55 million, five-year dollar contract with Toronto before the 2006 season, then went 10-8 with a 3.98 ERA in 21 starts. He started the 2006 season on the DL because of scar tissue in his right elbow from a previous operation and made just two starts before going back on the DL for two months, returning June 22.
Add A Comment