Harden to DL

A's Recall Devine From Sacramento; Place Harden on Disabled List
 
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland A's today recalled right-handed pitcher Joey Devine from Triple-A Sacramento and placed right-handed pitcher Rich Harden on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 3 with a strained right shoulder.
 
Devine has pitched in two games for Sacramento this year and has allowed no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out four in 2.0 innings.  He also went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in four spring training appearances with the A's this year.  The 24-year old right-hander was acquired from Atlanta earlier this year on January 14 in the Mark Kotsay trade.  He made his Major League debut with the Braves in 2005 after he was selected by Atlanta in the first round (27th selection overall) of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.  Devine has spent parts of each of the previous three seasons in the majors and is 1-1 with a 6.86 ERA in 25 career relief appearances.
 
Harden was 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA in two starts for the A's this year and ranks second in the American League with 15 strikeouts.  He was scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday in Toronto.  This is Harden's sixth career stint on the disabled list and all have come in the last four years.  He had two stints on the DL in each of the previous two seasons and one in 2005.  Harden is 6-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 18 games, 15 starts, over the last three years and 16-7 with a 2.81 ERA in 40 games, 34 starts, over the last four seasons.
 
This marks the fifth time this year the A's have used the disabled list and Oakland currently has four players on the DL.  Last year, the A's used the disabled list an Oakland record tying 22 times.