Familia to DL as Mets call Burke for 'pen aid

NEW YORK -- With Jeurys Familia still battling a bout of right biceps tendinitis and the bullpen in desperate need of available arms, the Mets placed Familia on the disabled list Sunday and recalled submariner Greg Burke from Triple-A Buffalo.

Familia, who has not thrown since reporting soreness following Wednesday's game against the White Sox, will travel to Florida for treatment and rehab. His disabled list stint is retroactive to May 9, making him eligible to return on May 24.

"I talked to him this morning, and he actually said he felt better today," manager Terry Collins said. "But he still has some symptoms of the tendinitis. I just told him he has to slow down."

The Mets were happy simply to replace Familia with a pitcher capable of providing multiple innings of relief. Burke, who originally broke camp with the Mets as a quasi-long man, spent his time in Vegas streamlining out his delivery, positioning himself more on a straight line with home plate. The result, he said, was better control and increased sink on his pitches.

Though he struggled throughout his three-week stint in Vegas, Burke threw a clean inning in his last outing Thursday.

"I'm still fairly new with this delivery," said Burke, who began employing his submarine style full time last spring. "I just worked on being more consistent."