Dodgers place Pedro Baez on DL, recall Daniel Coulombe from Triple-A

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers on Thursday placed Pedro Baez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right pectoral muscle, one night after he left a game early. Left-hander Daniel Coulombe was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Baez's place on the active roster.

Baez has been one of the pillars of a rock-solid Dodgers bullpen this season, with a 1.76 ERA and 1.70 FIP in 15 games, with 22 strikeouts and only three walks in 15⅓ innings. Baez is tied for the team lead in appearances, with Yimi Garcia and Chris Hatcher, and is tied for the team lead in innings with Juan Nicasio.

Baez left Wednesday night's game against the Marlins in the eighth inning, feeling something after allowing a double to Dee Gordon. Baez was removed from the game after striking out three in his inning of work, and told catcher Yasmani Grandal he felt something on his final four pitches, two of which were changeups followed by a 94-mph fastball after throwing 98-99 mph earlier in the at-bat.

"It was kind of weird when I saw him throw Dee two straight changeups," manager Don Mattingly said. "You do want to bury a changeup, a pitch that you can use to get somebody out, but it's still not part of his true mix, not one of his top two pitches."

Baez throws his changeup 7.25 percent of the time this year, per Brooks Baseball, less than his fastball, slider and sinker.

The right-hander had an MRI exam on Thursday morning in Los Angeles. Mattingly didn't have a timetable for Baez's return, but said he would be shut down from throwing for a few days.

"In the end with Pedro, he's going to be back and going to be fine," Mattingly said. "The silver lining is it's going to take a little usage off of him the rest of the season, and as the year goes on his games and appearances will be down."

Coulombe was with the Dodgers for three days in Milwaukee last week on the road trip, allowing one run in one inning in his one appearance. He has a 1.59 ERA in nine games for Oklahoma City this season, with 16 strikeouts and four walks in 11⅓ innings.

Coulombe last pitched on Monday, throwing a scoreless inning in Omaha.

It will likely be another short major league stay for Coulombe, with closer Kenley Jansen expected to be activated from the disabled list on Friday or Saturday. That decision will depend on how the bullpen is used on Thursday night.

"We'd really prefer it to be Saturday. That was the original plan," Mattingly said. "We like to give two days off before we activate them to make sure they are good and strong."

Jansen said he feels great after his sixth and final rehab game with Class-A Rancho, and that he is prepared to pitch either Friday or Saturday.

"I'm mentally ready right now," Jansen said.