Mariners place closer J.J. Putz on disabled list

Mariners closer J.J. Putz has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hyperextended right elbow.

The team announced the move today and said that relief pitcher Roy Corcoran had been recalled from Class AAA Tacoma and would be in uniform tonight for the start of a weekend series against the Washington Nationals. Putz hurt the elbow during a ninth-inning appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

A magnetic resonance imaging scan taken Thursday in Seattle, under the supervision of team medical director Dr. Edward Khalfayan, found inflammation of the triceps tendon and an irritation of the ulnar nerve in Putz's elbow. But the team said that no ligament damage had been found.

The sidelining of Putz means the Brandon Morrow should be the team's closer in his absence. Corcoran has also closed games at the AAA level and could be used in some late situations if needed.

Mariners starting pitcher Miguel Batista will also be available for bullpen use now that R.A. Dickey has been promoted to the starting rotation in his spot. Left-handed reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith will be handling longer relief duties while Dickey is in the rotation.

This will be Putz's second trip to the DL this season. He missed 18 games from April 2-21 with inflammation where cartilage attaches to a rib.

In 20 appearances, Putz is 2-3 with seven saves and a 5.21 earned-run average, a far cry from his dominating 2007 All-Star season (6-1, 1.38 earned-run-average, 40 saves).

Corcoran, 28, had a 1.69 ERA in eight relief appearances with the Mariners earlier this year. He returned to Tacoma when Erik Bedard came off the disabled list. In 15 appearances for the Rainiers, Corcoran had four saves and a 5.02 ERA, but had allowed just one run over his last eight appearances since May 21.