ATLANTA -- Brandon Beachy's storybook season will be put on hold. The talented pitcher and the Braves can only hope it has not come to an end.
Beachy was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday after right elbow discomfort forced him to exit during the fourth inning of Saturday's 5-0 loss to the Orioles. Right-hander Todd Redmond was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Before projecting how much time he might miss, the Braves will wait on results of an MRI exam that is expected to be completed within the next two days.
Four years after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of a college summer league, Beachy owns a Major League-best 2.00 ERA and was in line to earn his first All-Star selection.
But now the 25-year-old right-hander has to worry about the possibility of needing to undergo a surgical procedure that could sideline him for the remainder of this year and part of the 2013 season.
After Beachy experienced right elbow discomfort during his June 7 start against the Blue Jays, the Braves gave him three extra days of rest leading up to this start. Everything seemed fine when he displayed normal velocity through the first three innings and retired each of the first 11 batters he faced.
But his velocity started to dip during the fourth inning and there was apparent trouble as his perfect game -- and outing -- concluded with a two-out walk to Chris Davis. He opened the plate appearance with consecutive curveballs that did not reach the plate. There were more signs of trouble when his next two fastballs were clocked at 86 and 88 mph.
---- Source: MLB.com