The New York Yankees placed closer Andrew Miller on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left forearm muscle on Wednesday.
An MRI revealed a strained flexor muscle, and the left-hander was placed on the DL after the Yankees’ 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals, manager Joe Girardi said. He will be re-evaluated in a couple of days.
Right-hander Dellin Betances will take over as closer in the interim. Miller, who joined the Yankees on a four-year, $36 million deal last offseason, has 17 saves and a 1.03 ERA. Betances is 4-0 with two saves and a 0.28 ERA.
In other moves, infielder Brendan Ryan was activated from the disabled list, and outfielder Ramon Flores and infielder Jose Pirela were sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
—Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, who is having a breakout season, left Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies with an apparent left knee injury after attempting to beat out a ground ball in the first inning.
Reds manager Bryan Price said Cozart likely is headed to the disabled list.
Cozart is batting .259 with nine home runs — second among National League shortstops. He has driven in 28 runs in 52 games, with 10 doubles and a triple.
—Right fielder Nelson Cruz was not in the Seattle Mariners’ starting lineup Wednesday in Cleveland because of back spasms.
McClendon said Cruz, who is hitting .326 and leads the American League with 18 homers, could be available to pinch-hit.
Cruz left the Mariners’ game Tuesday in the fifth inning after fouling off a pitch. Manager Lloyd McClendon said Cruz felt tightness in his back during batting practice and wanted to play through it, but McClendon pulled Cruz from the game during his third at-bat.
—Atlanta Braves minor-league catcher Chris O’Dowd, who is the son of former Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd, has been suspended 80 games for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
The penalty was announced Wednesday by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, which said O’Dowd tested positive for “testosterone metabolites of exogenous origin, a performance-enhancing substance.” The suspension takes effect immediately.
O’Dowd was hitting .304 for the Double-A Mississippi Braves of the Southern League.