A’s Place Wuertz On DL

According to Jane Lee of MLB.com, the Oakland Athletics have placed reliever Michael Wuertz on the disabled list due to a strained left-hamstring. The A’s also recalled pitcher Tyson Ross from Triple-A Sacramento to help out the bullpen.

Injuries are nothing new to the A’s, as the team currently has guys like Andrew Bailey, Rich Harden, and Adam Rosales on the disabled-list.

According to Lee, Wuertz suffered the injury a few days ago during pre-game workouts. He pitched one inning on Opening Night against the visiting Mariners.

Wuertz, who is in his second-year of the two-year deal he signed with Oakland after the 2009 season, had an “off”  year in 2010, going 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 39.2 innings. The A’s had hoped to have Wuertz healthy this year and back in the bullpen.

Ross, meanwhile, comes back to Oakland after starting the season with Sacramento. Ross had a nice spring training, going 1-0 with a 0.59 ERA through 15.1 innings, and was in the running for Oakland’s fifth-starter race. He eventually lost out to Brandon McCarthy, but Ross is back in the big-leagues now that Wuertz is out.

Ross should provide some much needed relief for the A’s bullpen, which hasn’t lived up to all the expectations so far. The bullpen looked shaky during the Mariners series, and in the first game of the Toronto series.