TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays placed starter A.J. Burnett on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a right elbow injury.
"I want to make sure it is out of there for good. Whatever it is, there is a shark floating in there and we got to get it out."
-- A.J. Burnett
Burnett left his start against Boston on Friday night after four innings with soreness in his elbow. He will visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday.
Andrews performed ligament replacement surgery on Burnett's elbow in 2003.
"It [pain in the elbow] came on pretty good in the fourth inning," Burnett said. "This really is frustrating for me. I feel about two inches tall. It's tough not to be able to go more than four innings."
Burnett said he's willing to miss a month to make sure he's OK.
"I want to make sure it is out of there for good. Whatever it is, there is a shark floating in there and we got to get it out," Burnett said.
Burnett, who signed a five-year, $55 million deal with the Blue Jays in the offseason after spending seven seasons with the Florida Marlins, began the season on the DL after scar tissue broke off in
his elbow March 18 during spring training.
The Blue Jays are hoping it's just scar tissue this time, too.
"They don't seem to think it's anything structurally wrong,"
manager John Gibbons said. "He'll go see the guy who did the
surgery. Hopefully, he'll get some reassurance from him. Until he
sees him we won't know."
Burnett was a key piece of Toronto's offseason overhaul. The Blue Jays also added closer B.J. Ryan for $47 million over five years, signed catcher Bengie Molina and traded for slugger Troy Glaus and first baseman Lyle Overbay.
Pitching coach Brad Arnsberg noticed a drop in velocity in
Friday's start.
"All of a sudden his velocity tapered," Arnsberg said. "I
knew something wasn't right."
Arnsberg said they'll be extra careful with him.
"You've got to guard him with kid gloves. We did that the first
time and felt good," Arnsberg said.
The Blue Jays recalled right-hander reliever Shaun Marcum from
Triple-A Syracuse