Zach Putnam lands on disabled list with shoulder inflammation - MLB

Zach Putnam has had a share of the closer role with the White Sox in recent weeks, but now he’s headed to the 15-day disabled list due to right shoulder inflammation.

Putnam struggled in his most recent appearance yesterday against the Royals, allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks over one inning. He threw just 13 out of 27 pitches for strikes. Even with the shaky outing, the 27-year-old owns a 2.33 ERA over 33 appearances this season to go along with three saves and a 32/15 K/BB ratio over 38 1/3 innings.

Jake Petricka is now the default frontrunner for save chances with Chicago, but Matt Lindstrom is close to a rehab assignment as he makes his way back from ankle surgery and could soon find himself in the mix once again.

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The Yankees placed Nestor Cortes on the 15-day injured list with a left rotator cuff strain that will sideline the left-hander for at least two starts.

The move is retroactive to Monday and Cortes will be shut down for at least 15 days.

After Tuesday’s game, Cortes said the shoulder has been bothering him between starts and more so after he pitched five innings May 30 in Seattle.

“I took two days off and when I got to LA and threw that first day, I didn’t feel right,” Cortes said Tuesday. “But it was first day coming back from pitching so I knew it was going to be nagging a little bit. So I waited a little bit.

“That second day in LA was when I said something because it felt like I had pitched yesterday. So I wasn’t recovering in time.”

Cortes is 5-2 with a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts and has particularly struggled later in outings. Opponents are hitting .447 when facing him for the third time in a game.

Last year, Cortes was an All-Star and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts.

Randy Vásquez was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to take Cortes’ spot in the rotation and will make his second career start in Thursday’s doubleheader. Vásquez made his major league debut May 26 against San Diego when the Yankees needed a starter because Domingo Germán was serving a 10-game suspension for using sticky substances.