Burnett returns to DL with elbow injury

LOS ANGELES -- The Angels have placed left-handed reliever Sean Burnett on the 15-day disabled list with left elbow impingement exactly one week after he was activated from the DL with left forearm irritation.

Burnett said the inflammation in his elbow is "very typical" of someone who has had surgery to remove bone spurs -- which Burnett did in October.

"My elbow has more movement and more stuff to do, so my body's kind of inflaming itself with that space," Burnett said. "It's used to having the bone spurs there. It's something I should have been dealing with probably a month or so after starting to throw, but it was fine then and just starting up now."

Although Burnett missed 22 games during his first trip to the DL, Angels manager Mike Scioscia does not believe this injury will keep the reliever out for a significant amount of time. In fact, Scioscia feels it is realistic Burnett could be activated as soon as the 15 days are up on June 11.

"It's obviously all related to how his elbow is feeling, but it's in a totally different area," Scioscia said. "Hopefully as this calms down, it will be manageable and we will see Sean back pitching with us shortly."

Burnett had a lubricant injected into his elbow on Tuesday and hopes that will lead him to a speedy recovery.

"Hopefully in 15 days I'm good to go," Burnett said. "Kind of like the tin man that was a little squeaky."