Indians place Borowski on disabled list

Indians place Borowski on disabled list
Struggling closer dealing with right triceps strain
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- After blowing a save opportunity against the Red Sox on Monday night, Joe Borowski said that he hoped to pinpoint the reason for his drastic dip in velocity this season.

It appears the Indians have.

Borowski was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday afternoon with a right triceps strain. Right-hander Tom Mastny, who spent all of last season with the Tribe and was the last man ousted from the bullpen mix in Spring Training this year, has been called up from Triple-A Buffalo to assume Borowski's spot on the active roster.

As for who will assume Borowski's closing duties, right-handed setup man Rafael Betancourt is the most likely choice, though Betancourt, like Borowski, hasn't been as effective as usual this season.

Betancourt, who has a 5.14 ERA in seven innings of work, has given up two home runs already after giving up just four all of last season. And for all his success as a setup man, he has had some struggles when entrusted with the ninth inning. He is 12-for-29 in his career in save situations.

Newly acquired right-hander Masa Kobayashi was the longtime closer for Chiba Lotte in the Japanese Pacific League, and racked up 227 saves in nine seasons. Given that he's a mere two weeks into his big league career, however, it's questionable whether the Indians would entrust Kobayashi, who has a 2.08 ERA in five appearances, with the closing duties.

Veteran right-hander Jorge Julio (2.57 ERA in four games) is the only other member of the Tribe's bullpen with extensive closing experience. He has 99 career saves, the majority of which came when he was the Orioles' closer from 2002-04.

Borowski was the American League leader with 45 saves last season, but those saves came with a 5.07 ERA that was the highest-ever for a league's saves champ.

In his first five appearances this season, during which he put up an 18.00 ERA and converted only two of his first four save opportunities, it was obvious that the 36-year-old had lost some life and location on his fastball. Whereas he used to routinely touch 88 mph, this season he hovered in the 80- to 86-mph zone.

In Monday night's loss, Borowski was averaging out around 81 mph, and he maxed out at 83.

"I just felt like I had nothing," Borowski said after the game. "It felt like [I was] throwing through water, pretty much. Physically, I felt fine, but I was stuck in one gear. I had no extra gear."

Now he'll have some extra time to get sorted out.

Mastny, 27, rejoins the bullpen after putting up a 6.75 ERA in 5 1/3 innings at Buffalo this month. He went 7-2 with a 4.68 ERA in 51 appearances for the Indians last season.

This sucks! He's the worst closer in all of baseball and therefore my favorite Indian. No matter who takes his spot he'll be better