ANAHEIM -- Jason Heyward was placed on the 15-day disabled list for recurring soreness in his right shoulder, the latest in a series of injury setbacks for the Braves' prized right fielder.
Injuries are mounting for the Braves, who didn't want to go into the two-day Pittsburgh series that starts Tuesday not knowing if Heyward would be ready.
They purchased the contract of outfielder Wilkin Ramirez from Triple-A Gwinnett, creating a 40-man roster spot for Ramirez by moving relief pitcher Peter Moylan from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.
Moylan had back surgery last week and is expected to be sidelined for about three months.
The Braves will likely go with hot-hitting Joe Mather in right, although Ramirez could see some playing time. Ramirez, 25, was hitting .248 with 15 extra-base hits (seven homers), 16 RBIs and six stolen bases in 33 games at Gwinnett, with a .513 slugging percentage but a skimpy .294 on-base percentage.
Heyward was diagnosed with rotator-cuff inflammation in his non-throwing shoulder last week and got a cortisone shot. He missed five starts, returned to play three full games, then aggravated the shoulder in batting practice Friday.
He was used for defense in the final inning of Saturday’s 12-inning, 5-4 win against the Angels.
Heyward said the shoulder has bothered him since late in spring training, but worsened more than a week ago. An MRI showed no structural damage, and the hope was that a few days of rest and medication would take care of things.
With the DL move, he'll be out for at least 15 days.
Heyward has hit just .214 with 14 RBIs and a .317 on-base percentage in 45 games, although he’s tied for the team lead with seven homers. He is 4-for-41 (.098) with no RBIs and 15 strikeouts in May.
He's had nagging injuries since the remarkable first two months of his 2010 rookie season. He hit .301 with 10 homers, 38 RBIs and a .421 OBP and .596 slugging percentage (1.016 OPS) in his first 46 games through May 30, 2010.
In 141 games since, he’s hit .252 with 15 homers, 48 RBIs and a .364 OBP and .399 slugging percentage (.763 OPS).
Minor to fill in for Hudson
Tim Hudson will have his stiff back examined in Atlanta on Monday, and rookie Mike Minor will be recalled from Triple-A to start in place of the veteran pitcher Wednesday at Pittsburgh.
The plan is for Hudson to rejoin the rotation May 30, and for Minor to make another start May 31, a spot-start date where a replacement was already needed for injured fifth starter Brandon Beachy.
Hudson’s back stiffened in Friday’s game against Anaheim, when he allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 innings in one of the worst starts of his career.
"We want to make sure the stiffness calms down," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's stiffness; it's not spasms. He's flying back to Atlanta to have doctors look at him [Monday], to have X-rays or an MRI. We just want to make sure."
Hudson allowed seven hits, three walks and hit three batters Friday, and gave up eight earned runs in fewer than five innings for the first time in his career.
Since throwing a one-hit shutout against Milwaukee on May 4, Hudson is 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA in his past three starts, with four homers allowed in 15 2/3 innings and more walks (10) than strikeouts (eight).
In seven starts through the one-hitter, he had a 2.86 ERA and allowed only one homer and eight walks with 26 strikeouts in 50-1/3 innings.
Minor is 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA in eight starts at Gwinnett, with 54 strikeouts and 14 walks in 52 2/3 innings. The left-hander gave up a season-high 10 hits and four earned runs in eight innings Friday against Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate, after allowing two runs or fewer in six of seven previous starts.
In his only major league start this season, he was roughed up April 6 at Milwaukee -- seven hits, five runs and four walks in 4-1/3 innings.
McLouth hoping to avoid DL
Braves center fielder Nate McLouth strained his left oblique while checking his swing on the fourth pitch of the first inning Sunday. He left the game, and could land on the DL if his condition isn't improved before Tuesday.
“I had [an oblique strain] a few years back, but it was really minor," McLouth said. "I think I only missed three or four games.
"I don't want to speculate [on the pending DL decision]. We have a day off tomorrow, luckily, and I’m going to see how it feels. I’m just really hoping it’s not going to be a DL thing.”
McLouth took a few swings after the injury to see if he'd be able to continue, but the pain was too severe.
"It was kind of a checked swing on a ball in the dirt," he said. "I kind of fired like I was going to swing ... and then stopped real quick. But I’ve done it a million times on breaking balls in the dirt, things like that.
"I was just hoping it was maybe a cramp, or spasm, but it didn’t go away."
