Dodgers place A.J. Ellis on disabled list with knee inflammation

It was hardly a surprise that the Dodgers placed a catcher on the disabled list Monday, although the catcher who went on certainly was.

Sunday catcher Yasmani Grandal had to leave the game in the sixth inning after taking a nasty foul ball off the bottom of his mask. It was such a severe blow that Manager Don Mattingly at first feared he had broken his jaw (he had not).

A.J. Ellis replaced him and caught the final four innings.

So Monday rolls around and on to the disabled list goes …. Ellis.

The Dodgers said Ellis has an inflamed right knee; he’s twice had surgery on the left knee. They placed him on the 15-day DL, called up Austin Barnes from triple-A Oklahoma City and immediately inserted Barnes into the starting lineup.

It’s a tough break for Ellis, 34, who after a horrendous start had put together a six-game hitting streak. In the month of July, Ellis is hitting .400 (eight for 20).

Mattingly told reporters in Atlanta that the knee started bothering him on the flight Sunday night. An MRI showed no structural damage. Mattingly said he is hopeful Grandal will be able to play by Wednesday.

This is Barnes’ second stint with the Dodgers this season. He was hitting .304 at Oklahoma, with eight home runs and 38 RBI. He has a .385 on-base percentage and has actually walked more times (28) than he’s struck out (26).