Yankees' O'Day Lands On 10-Day Injured List With Rotator Cuff Strain

New York Yankees reliever Darren O'Day was placed on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain. Michael King was recalled to fill his spot in the bullpen

Right-hander Darren O'Day has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain, the Yankees announced on Saturday morning.

The injury is retroactive to April 30. Michael King, who was just sent down to the alternate site a few days ago, was recalled to fill O'Day's spot in the bullpen.

"He's kind of been cranky in the shoulder really all month," Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained Saturday morning. "Started out a little bit early, but able to pitch through it. And then actually, the middle of the month was starting to feel pretty good and was kind of a nonissue and then over the last few days, it still was just kind of in there cranky. So decided to get it looked at and found that there was a strain in there. So obviously he's got to be shut down now for a few weeks."

Boone added that O'Day is expected to miss a few weeks with his shoulder strain. 

Since setup man Zack Britton went down with an injury this spring, needing left elbow surgery, the Yankees' bullpen has remained healthy and produced at an elite level. O'Day was a big part of that equation.

In his first season in pinstripes, the sidearmer has allowed just three runs over nine innings this season. To go along with a 3.00 ERA in those 10 outings, O'Day has nine strikeouts, walking only two batters.

O'Day started the season with 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing those three runs over his last four outings. In fact, he's given up a run in each of his last two appearances, as recently as Thursday in Baltimore.

Boone explained that O'Day has dealt with shoulder injuries in the past. In fact, the skipper said that most relievers, especially veterans like O'Day, deal with manageable aches and pains throughout a typical season.

This was serious enough to result in a shutdown for O'Day.

"It does require a few weeks shut down and hopefully, with that, he can get this thing right and still be an important part of our bullpen moving forward."

New York's bullpen has been a revelation so far this year, entering play on Saturday with the best ERA in baseball (2.24) and third-most strikeouts (125) in the league.

King returns to the 'pen poised to continue to his tremendous start to the season. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run in 11 innings this season, including a spectacular six-inning performance in relief earlier in the season.

After wrapping up their series against the Detroit Tigers this weekend, New York will host the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals before embarking on a 10-game road trip midway through the month of May.

MORE:

• Gerrit Cole Makes More History With 12-Strikeout Masterpiece
• Bombers Bash Five Home Runs in Blowout Win Over Tigers
• Yankees' Severino 'Very Close' to Facing Live Hitters For First Time Since TJ Surgery

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), on Facebook (also @MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.