Ross comes off DL, but will begin in bullpen

SAN DIEGO -- Tyson Ross was reinstated from the disabled list just as Clayton Richard went on the 15-day DL with an intestinal virus.

Ross had been on the disabled list with a left shoulder subluxation, an injury he sustained on the follow-through to his swing when he got his first Major League hit last month against the Dodgers. He went on the DL on April 20, retroactive to April 18.

Ross made two relief appearances on a Minor League rehabilitation stint last week with Triple-A Tucson, allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings.

Before landing on the DL, Ross was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts for the Padres. Now that he has returned, Ross won't take Richard's spot in the rotation. He'll pitch out of the bullpen for now, as the team still needs to be certain that he won't have a re-occurrence of the left shoulder injury again.

"They're just making sure I'm good to go," Ross said. "But I'm excited. It's been hard to sit out for two weeks. I think I'm right where I want to be."

Even if that's in the bullpen, and not the rotation.

"I would love to be in the rotation and swinging a bat," he said. "But I'm just going to focus on being a reliever at this point."