NEW YORK (AP) - Yankees starter Phil Hughes was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday night due to a strained right oblique muscle.
Hughes lasted just 3 2-3 innings in a 6-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night. He allowed six runs and eight hits to drop to 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA after six starts."Things aren't going so well right now and then to add that on to it, it's frustrating," Hughes said after New York's 6-2 loss to Detroit.
Hughes first felt a little discomfort the morning after a two-inning start at Chicago last Thursday, when the 21-year-old didn't come out for the third because of a rain delay. It got worse during the fourth inning of Tuesday night's loss.
"I talked to the doctor and he said it could be something I wake up and it feels fine," Hughes said. "He said it's kind of just a day-to-day thing."
Hughes is scheduled for an MRI exam on Thursday and general manager Brian Cashman said right-hander Darrell Rasner, 4-0 with an 0.87 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Scranton, will start Sunday against Seattle in Hughes' spot. New York was discussing whether to add another player before Rasner is activated but Cashman said Hughes' injury doesn't change the role of setup man Joba Chamberlain.
Chamberlain started in the minors and team co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner has clamored for him to return to the rotation.
Both Cashman and manager Joe Girardi were guarded when asked about Hughes earlier Wednesday, and the right-hander's spot in the rotation appeared to be in jeopardy before the club found out about the injury.
"We discuss things with the doctors first, get a determination and then we go to the media," Girardi said after the loss to the Tigers. "We don't throw things out before we absolutely know what we have."
Hughes, one of the most highly regarded young pitchers in the organization, was mentioned in offseason trade talks with the Minnesota Twins about Johan Santana. Hughes went 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA in 13 starts with New York last year.
"It's hard to put timeframes on oblique strains," Cashman said. "They can linger. They can disappear after 15 (days)."
Hughes isn't the only young Yankees hurler in a funk. Ian Kennedy is 0-2 with an 8.53 ERA heading into his start against Detroit on Thursday.
Steinbrenner said he hasn't lost his patience with Hughes and Kennedy.
"They're 21 and 23," he said in Tampa, Fla., before Hughes went on the DL. "They've been thrown into the fire, and the fact is it will take time."
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