MILWAUKEE -- After watching multiple players on their roster hurt themselves further by trying to play through leg injuries, the Padres decided to play it safe with right-hander Andrew Cashner, and on Friday placed him on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.
"He's not at 100 percent," manager Andy Green said. "We're at a place with our roster constraints where we have to have a guy for tomorrow. Cash isn't ready to completely do that. I think he thinks he's completely ready, which I appreciate, but given the rash of hamstring injuries that we have had, we thought 10 days on the DL versus the six to eight weeks if he strains it pitching 100 pitches tomorrow is a better choice for us long-term."
Cashner, who is 2-3 with a 4.93 ERA in seven starts, left in the sixth inning of a 4-3 loss to the Mets on May 8 due to cramping in both hamstrings.
Cashner threw and did light running on Friday before the Padres decided to place him on the DL, which cleared a roster spot for Christian Friedrich, who had his contract purchased and started against the Brewers.
With the move being retroactive to May 9, Cashner will be eligible to return on May 24, against San Francisco.
Green made clear that Cashner's strained hamstring isn't as bad as the leg injuries that have sidelined Alexi Amarista, Yangervis Solarte, Cory Spangenberg and Jemile Weeks.
"Hopefully, he misses just the 10 days and he's back making the start the 24th in San Francisco," Green said. "He's definitely not in the category of the other guys. Those guys were out there playing through things, and it didn't work out well for them. Now this guy wants to go through things. We're going to be prudent to protect him."
Cashner had been slated to start on Friday before a doubleheader against the Cubs on Wednesday pushed him to Saturday, which now may become a bullpen game.
"It is going to be a product of what happens [on Friday]," Green said. "We have some options in the bullpen in Brad Hand, [Luis Perdomo] and Carlos Villanueva. We'll navigate today's game and make a determination as to who is best to start [on Saturday]."