WASHINGTON -- The Nationals have placed right-handed reliever Brad Lord on the 15-day injured list with left side tightness.
The move was announced Thursday and is retroactive to July 6.
Lord, 26, is 5-2 with a 3.88 ERA and one save in 27 games this season. He has been a reliable reliever for the Nationals, though he has struggled in two of his past four outings.
On July 5 he gave up five runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings against the Pirates and took the loss.
“It was the day after his last outing,” manager Blake Butera said. “He just came in, he needed some treatment done. Day after that still felt it, so ultimately put him on the IL.”
Lord will miss series against the Yankees and at the Athletics before being eligible to return while the team is in Colorado.
“I think it’ll be a minimum [IL] stay,” Butera said, “but we’ll see.”
On Friday, the Nationals selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Tom Cosgrove and transferred right-handed pitcher Jake Irvin to the 60-day injured list.
Cosgrove, 30, was obtained from the Houston Astros in exchange for cash on July 3. He was 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings with Triple-A Sugar Land before the trade, and struck out the side in his only inning with Triple-A Rochester this season on July 5 against Lehigh Valley.
He gives Washington three left-handers in the bullpen, with a fourth -- Carson Palmquist -- serving as the opener Friday.
“Particularly for this series, for the left-hand heavy lineup like the Yankees have -- they only have three righties in there today and they still have another lefty on the bench -- we need all the lefties we can get in this series,” Butera said.
Cosgrove is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA and one save in 74 Major League appearances.
“I’m still very new to the organization,” Cosgrove said before Friday’s game. “I’m just here to go in the game when they call my name on the phone, whenever that is.”
Irvin (right shoulder strain) has been on the injured list since May 24. He threw live batting practice on Wednesday and will pitch in West Palm Beach over the break.