Saito’s MRI exam shows no damage

Takashi Saito said he isn’t certain he’ll be able to pitch again without pain, but he wore a smile as broad as his shoulders in the Dodgers’ clubhouse Monday.

An MRI exam that morning revealed no structural damage in his sore right shoulder, which has sidelined him for the last five days. Saito didn’t share Manager Grady Little’s optimism on a potential return to the mound today, but he said he was extremely relieved by the test results.

Saito said the pain around his shoulder blade was similar to what he felt when he had disk problems in his back during his final seasons in Japan.

“Some really bad memories came back and these last couple of days were really tough,” Saito said. “I had a really bad feeling.”

Saito said the thought that he could be forced into retirement crossed his mind.

Trainer Stan Conte said the MRI exam was done for precautionary reasons, noting that it would be difficult to get Saito examined during the seven-game trip if something went wrong. Conte added that spine specialist Dr. William Dillin also checked Saito and found nothing abnormal.

“I anticipated this going quicker and so did Takashi,” Conte said. “It’s just a matter of waiting until he’s ready to go and keep treating it.”

Conte said Saito would be held out until he is completely pain-free and that once he returned, he didn’t expect the problem to return.

“Because the MRI is negative, we know we’re not dealing with anything that’s chronically there, arthritis or anything like that,” Conte said. “Once it’s gone, it should stay gone.”

Still, Saito wasn’t completely convinced his shoulder problems were behind him. When he had back trouble in Japan, he said, he underwent similar exams that revealed nothing.

“I still haven’t played catch,” Saito said. “Doctors are telling me I’m fine and I’m sure they’re fine doctors. But I need to throw first, then throw in a few games in a row and feel nothing to convince myself I’m fine. Doubts will remain until then.

“That being said, it’s emotionally relieving to be told by doctors that I’m fine.”

Saito said he would play catch today and would make himself available to close if he wasn’t hurting. But he also said that pain was no longer his only obstacle.

“I’ve been out for five days, so I’ve lost my feeling for the mound,” he said. “I’m hoping I can get back in the relatively near future.”

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Right-hander Eric Hull was recalled from triple-A Las Vegas to add an arm to the short bullpen. Eric Stults was optioned to Las Vegas.

The call-up is the second of the season for Hull, who was on the Dodgers’ active roster from June 1-4 in Pittsburgh, but didn’t play. Hull’s wife and 22-month-old son went to Pittsburgh in hopes of seeing him make his major league debut and they were in Houston on Monday.

“I’ll try again,” Hull said.

Hull, 27, was 3-3 with a 3.18 earned-run average in 51 innings at Las Vegas. He had six saves this month.

Little stressed that the need for a reliever and not Stults’ performance was the reason behind the move.

Stults gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the New York Mets on Sunday.

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Little said Brett Tomko was available out of the bullpen Monday and would be available again today, but that he is still on track to start Friday. ... The middle finger on Roberto Hernandez’s non-throwing hand is swollen from fielding a comebacker in Sunday’s loss to the New York Mets. Hernandez said a hole had to be cut in his nail to drain the blood, but that it shouldn’t affect him.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com