On Friday, the Cincinnati Reds made the decision to place Mike Leake, one of the franchise's stable of promising young pitchers, on the disabled list. From USA Today:
He was less effective in August, prompting the Reds to move him to the bullpen to cut down on his innings. He got hit hard in his two relief appearances eight earned runs in 2 2-3 innings so the Reds sent him for a shoulder exam.
Leake is hitting the disabled list because of a tired shoulder, which teams have taken seriously with young pitchers in recent years. Leake, 22, has a 4.23 ERA through 138.1 innings pitched in his rookie season. His ERA was actually 3.85 prior to his most recent appearance, his second relief job of the season, in which he surrendered six earned runs while recording only one out.
The Reds plan on having Leake back at some point in September. Entering Friday night's game, the team holds a four-game lead over the Cardinals in the N.L. Central.
For more on Leake, head over to SB Nation's Reds blog, Red Reporter.