Major League Baseball

Orioles LHP Chen placed on DL with oblique strain

Published May. 14, 2013 11:05 p.m. ET

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Wei-Yin Chen can only hope his first stint on the disabled list will be short.

The Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday placed the left-hander on the 15-day DL with a right oblique strain. The injury occurred Sunday during his start against the Minnesota Twins.

Since being signed as a free agent in January 2012 following a successful run in Japan, Chen had been the Orioles' most sturdy pitcher. The Taiwan native made 32 starts for Baltimore last year and is 3-3 over eight starts this season.

''It's one of those things that's tough to handicap the severity of it,'' Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. ''There's three grades, and I think his was in the middle. If you look at the history of these things, it gives you the idea that it is a little later than sooner. We'll take whatever comes our way.''

Chen shrugged when asked to predict the amount of time he would be sidelined.

''Fingers crossed for me,'' he said through an interpreter. ''This is day to day progress. I cannot push too hard. I just will try to do my best. ... The only thing I can do right now is help myself and get better and not do anything to get worse.''

Showalter intends to make sure Chen doesn't push himself too hard, because oblique injuries require a certain degree of rest.

''I think there will be some things Wei will be able to do other than throw,'' Showalter said. ''The actual throwing motion is the last thing that you do. It's a challenge for the people that do it to decide when to do it. If it's too early you get another setback. It's a slippery slope.''

Also Tuesday, the Orioles recalled right-handed reliever Alex Burnett and infielder Yamaico Navarro. Burnett appeared in one game with Baltimore earlier this month, allowing one hit in a scoreless inning against Kansas City.

Navarro was with the club for two days in April but did not see game action. In 34 games with Norfolk, he was batting .303 with two homers and 13 RBIs.

''Very excited, you know,'' he said. ''Everybody would like to be here.''

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