NEW YORK — After Jair Jurrjens made his first four starts after the All-Star break with pain in his surgically repaired right knee, he and the Braves decided to shut him down for a couple of weeks.
Jurrjens was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday, with the idea that he would miss two starts and then rejoin the rotation. Left-hander Mike Minor was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Sunday against the Mets.
“It just got a little inflamed,” said Jurrjens, who was examined by a doctor after his last start in Washington. “Just want to calm it down.”
Jurrjens underwent arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in October, after sitting out the stretch run and the Division Series.
“When you have knee surgery, it takes a full year for you to be healthy,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We’re going to give him a chance to strengthen that leg up around the knee and get going again. ... When the 15 days are up, I expect him to pitch.”
Jurrjens’ stint is retroactive to Tuesday. His spot in the rotation likely would come up again Aug. 18 against the Giants.
Jurrjens went 12-3 with a 1.87 ERA in 16 starts on his way to making his first All-Star team. But he said his knee started bothering him July 17 against the Nationals, his first game after the All-Star break, when he gave up a season-high six runs in five innings.
He’s 0-1 with a 6.26 ERA in four starts since the break.
“I didn’t have the strength to stay back and stay over the mound and push off like I wanted to,” Jurrjens said.
Minor is scheduled to make two starts in Jurrjens’ absence. He is 1-2 with a 4.59 ERA in six starts with the Braves this season. He went seven innings, allowing only one run to beat the Blue Jays in his last major league start, on June 21.
“I feel better this time,” said Minor, who worked on his two breaking pitches in his seven starts with Triple-A Gwinnett since. “I feel like my command is a lot better. I feel more like the last two or three [starts] I’ve felt really confident out there.”
He is 1-1 with a 2.88 ERA in his past four starts for Gwinnett.
