Dodgers place Joel Peralta in DL, recall Yimi Garcia from Triple-A

The Dodgers on Tuesday made a change to their bullpen, placing relief pitcher Joel Peralta on the 15-day disabled list with a right neck sprain and calling up Yimi Garcia from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Peralta was 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 25 games with the Dodgers, with three saves, 13 strikeouts and eight walks in 20 innings. The 39-year-old was sidelined for two months with a pinched nerve in his neck, but since his return from the disabled list had a 7.53 ERA in 18 games, allowing 12 runs on 22 hits in 14⅓ innings, with nine strikeouts and five walks.

He had four 1-2-3 innings during that span.

Peralta said he first felt something in his neck on the road trip in Philadelphia, and it affected his command and release point. He allowed two home runs in relief in Sunday's debacle against the Pirates.

"Just not being able to make the pitches, which is what happened the first time I went on the DL," Peralta said. "Not being able to command my fastball and split-finger, that's why I taking these few weeks off."

Garcia has a 3.99 ERA in 41 appearances with the Dodgers this year, with 54 strikeouts against only nine walks in 38⅓ innings, but he also allowed a bullpen-high seven home runs and was optioned to Triple-A just before the All-Star break. This is his second return trip to the majors since.

Garcia allowed five runs in 6⅓ innings in his six relief appearances for Oklahoma City, with four of of those runs coming in his first appearance after getting demoted.

"Yimi's the right guy for right now," manager Don Mattingly said.

The right-hander last pitched on Friday, throwing 23 pitches in allowing a run on three hits in 1⅔ innings.