D-backs place Robbie Ray on 10-day DL with strained right oblique

The Arizona Diamondbacks have placed left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray on the 10-day disabled list, the team announced Monday.

Ray exited Sunday’s contest against the Washington Nationals after he motioned toward his right side following a pitch in the second inning. He was diagnosed with a strained right oblique.

In Ray’s place will be reliever Silvino Bracho, who was called up from Triple-A Reno.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said Monday it’s not possible to predict a timeline of Ray’s road back from the injury and it is a grade-two oblique strain.

Ray left the field with trainers after just 1.1 innings, allowing one hit and striking out two batters.

“I felt great up until that one pitch,” Ray said. “I was probably in the middle of my delivery, I was letting go of the ball and just felt my side grab and I wasn’t able to finish the pitch and left it up and away. I just wasn’t able to get anything on it.”

Ray is coming off a breakout 2017 when he posted a record of 15-5 and 2.89 ERA. This season he is 2-0 with a 4.88 ERA.

The lefty is the latest impact player to be injured in the first 30 games of the season. Starter Taijuan Walker had Tommy John surgery while right fielder Steven Souza Jr. has not played a game in the 2018 regular season as he works his way back from a pectoral strain. Third baseman Jake Lamb also hasn’t played since April 2 when he suffered a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder.

Bracho re-joined the D-backs for the second time this season to give the bullpen an arm in the wake of  Ray’s oblique strain.

John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station expects Bracho will help the bullpen avoid fatigue for the next handful of days until the team determines how long Ray will be sidelined.

The D-backs open a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night at Chase Field.

The right-handed Bracho has one appearance for Arizona this season on April 15 against the Dodgers. He went three innings with seven strikeouts to one walk and allowed an earned run as the D-backs fell, 7-2. Arizona made that call-up following the news of Walker’s elbow injury.

Bracho has stepped onto the mound six times for Triple-A Reno this year and in 9.1 innings has allowed six earned runs with 14 strikeouts.

Follow @AZSports