Hyun-jin Ryu placed on 15-day disabled list with hip/butt strain

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers starter Hyun-jin Ryu was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday, after MRI results showed a Grade 1-2 strain of his gluteus medius and piriformis muscles in his right hip and buttock area.

The Dodgers don't have a timetable for Ryu's return, only that he will be reevaluated in a few days.

Ryu suffered the injury on Wednesday night against the Braves, leaving the in the sixth inning after feeling something while pitching. The muscles he strained help stabilize the hip and leg during a pitching delivery. This injury is also relatively rare among pitchers.

"We'll know a lot more in three, four or five days, what he's going to be able to do. This is not an injury they've seen a whole lot of," manager Don Mattingly said. "I don't think anyone at this point feels like he's not coming back. This isn't something that's a tear in his elbow or anything like that. It's a muscle strain, it's going to heal, and he'll be back."

Ryu said he wasn't sure of his timetable, but that he would "no doubt" be ready to pitch again this season.

The left-hander is 13-6 with a 3.28 ERA in 23 starts, with 122 strikeouts and 37 walks in 137⅓ innings. He missed three weeks in May with left shoulder inflammation.

Kevin Correia will start for the Dodgers in Ryu's place on Tuesday against the Padres. Correia, acquired from the Twins last Saturday, won his first start as a Dodger on Monday in Atlanta, allowing one run in six innings with five strikeouts.

Dodgers starters lead the majors with a 3.15 ERA and 58 wins, are second in strikeouts (700), third in fewest walks (171) and quality starts (79). But now that rotation includes Correia, Dan Haren and Roberto Hernandez, a fact Mattingly is trying to suppress.

"As long as they keep pitching they way they have. We have gotten good outings. As long as guys keep pitching well I don't think about it too much," Mattingly said. "We just keep getting down the road, getting ready to play. We'll keep doing that until hopefully we don't have to talk about it."

The corresponding move for Ryu was Pedro Baez getting recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.