SAN DIEGO -- The Padres have placed rookie left-hander Eric Lauer on the 10-day disabled list with a left forearm strain, which he sustained after Monday's extra-inning loss to the Giants.
Lauer was pinch-hit for in Monday's game after five innings, where he surrendered three runs on seven hits on 101 pitches. The move is precautionary, according to manager Andy Green, who noted that the team was planning on giving Lauer rest in August anyway.
"We don't think it's anything serious," Green said. "It's one of those things in most cases pitchers try to pitch through, but we always planned on giving him a rest at some point in time this season. With that forearm tightness, this just seemed like the right time to rest him."
Lauer has faced forearm tightness periodically throughout his baseball career, but it has yet to keep him out for an extended period of time. He will miss at least one start in the rotation, but the Padres are optimistic his time on the disabled list will be short.
"We're not going to try to put an artificial timeline on him," Green said. "The hope is he's back relatively quickly, but we'll be sure he gets some rest as well."
The Padres have kept Lauer on a short leash this year, with Green emphasizing the importance of the lefty's youth and preserving his arm. The 23-year-old owns a 5.30 ERA over 18 starts, averaging 4 2/3 innings per start.
Still, he remains a hopeful lock for the future of the Padres' rotation and the club would prefer to play it safe than sorry.
"We're not overly alarmed by it, but at the same time he's young and we always intended to rest him," Green said. "If he's got some tightness we're going to take that opportunity to rest him."
Worth noting
• The Padres recalled right-hander Walker Lockett from Triple-A El Paso as the corresponding roster move in place of Lauer. It's Lockett's third stint with the big league club and he will serve primarily as bullpen support. He's appeared in two games (one start) for the Padres this season and allowed two earned runs on four hits in two innings in his only relief appearance.
• Bryan Mitchell will begin his rehab assignment in Lake Elsinore on Thursday, with Green noting that he'll throw either four innings or 50 pitches, depending on what comes first. There has been talk about giving Mitchell another opportunity as a starting pitcher, and with Luis Perdomo and now Lauer on the disabled list, the option is becoming much more plausible.
"He's been out for a little while, so we'll definitely try to extend him a bit," Green said. "We'll get him back up for hopefully an opportunity in the rotation."