Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley goes on disabled list

Reporting from Cincinnati —

As many leg problems as Chad Billingsley has had over the years, he was never subjected to a stint on the disabled list.

Until Tuesday.

Unable to throw his regularly scheduled bullpen session without discomfort in his right groin, Billingsley was told he would be sidelined for at least two weeks starting Wednesday.

Billingsley’s protests were ignored.

“I can only do so much,” he said with a shrug.

Instead of taking a wait-and-see approach with Billingsley, the Dodgers decided to move forward with a rotation that will continue to include two previously unknown rookies, John Ely and Carlos Monasterios. The latter was expected to be the odd-man out by Saturday, when opening day starter Vicente Padilla makes his scheduled return from the disabled list in Boston.

The Dodgers made plans to call up right-handed reliever Travis Schlichting from triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday to replace Billingsley on the active roster, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move wasn’t official.

Billingsley said he was hurt in his last start, a loss to the Angels on Friday during which he was pounded for a career-high seven earned runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings.

“In the sixth inning, I threw a pitch, I felt it grab,” he said.

Billingsley underwent an MRI exam Sunday morning that revealed no structural damage, and the Dodgers weren’t expecting him to miss any starts until he threw Tuesday.

Trainer Stan Conte said that the medical staff was concerned that the tightness in his groin could lead to Billingsley altering his mechanics and sustaining a more severe injury.

“It’s a standing eight-count, to make sure this thing is right,” Conte said.

Because the Dodgers had an off day Monday, Ely will be able to take Billingsley’s turn in the rotation Thursday without pitching on short rest. Monasterios will pitch Friday and Padilla on Saturday.

Billingsley said he is mindful not to suffer a repeat of last season, when a midseason hamstring injury torpedoed what had been an All-Star year.

His last start aside, Billingsley looked significantly better in the last month than he did in April.

“I’ve been throwing the ball pretty well,” he said. “I’m going to keep that mind-set.”

Kuo’s scoreless streak

Left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo hasn’t given up a run since his first appearance of the season, his shutout streak now spanning 17 2/3 innings over 18 games.

Kuo has 22 strikeouts in that span and has allowed only six hits and four walks.

Kuo said he feels better than he ever has, even better than he did in 2008, when fans voted him baseball’s set-up man of the year.

“I’m more used to it, getting up and down, getting ready,” said Kuo, who still shows up to the ballpark early every day to receive treatment on his four-times-surgically-repaired throwing elbow.

Short hops

In the latest round of All-Star balloting, Andre Ethier remained in third place among National League outfielders, trailing Ryan Braun of Milwaukee and Jason Heyward of Atlanta. Votes can be casted at mlb.com until 8:59 p.m. July 1.… The Dodgers signed eight-round draft pick Blake Dean, a first baseman out of Louisiana State, and ninth-round pick Steven Domecus, an outfielder out of Virginia Tech. First-round pick Zach Lee remains unsigned.