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The Cleveland Indians have announced that All-Star pitcher Danny Salazar has been placed on the 15-day disabled list following an MRI on his elbow earlier this morning. The MRI revealed no structural damage, but the Indians are taking the cautious approach and giving Salazar's elbow some rest. He will not pitch for five to seven days and he is expected to miss anywhere from two to three weeks.
The official diagnosis for the injury is elbow inflammation.
Further update on Danny: MRI revealed no structural damage to elbow. He will avoid throwing for 5-7 days and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 2, 2016
After starting the season looking like a Cy Young contender, Salazar has gone off the rails, posting a 7.88 ERA five starts between July and August. His last outing was his shortest of the season: 2 IP, 6 ER, 3 SO, 2 BB.
Salazar was selected to the 2016 AL All-Star team, but sat out due to "elbow fatigue," and he has not pitched the same since.
It kind of a convenient twist of fate, the Indians also needed a roster spot for the newly acquired outfielder Brandon Guyer which they now have. They will need to figure out a starter by the time Salazar's slot comes up again, however. Candidates could include Mike Clevinger or Shawn Morimando. Clevinger has a 7.71 ERA in 16.1 major-league innings this season; Morimando allowed two earned runs in his MLB debut against the Toronto Blue Jays last month.