Marco Estrada, Brandon McCarthy make trips to disabled list

The following are updates on area Major League Baseball players.

Marco Estrada (Glendale Community College, 2003) starting pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers: Estrada encountered a rough start in his latest outing Monday against the visiting Oakland Athletics in which he lasted four innings. If the short outing wasn’t enough, Estrada learned Wednesday that he had been placed on the 15-day disabled list after suffering a left-hamstring injury.

Estrada allowed five runs (all earned) and nine hits in a 10-2 defeat. Estrada, a former All-Western State Conference selection, allowed two home runs during his 86-pitch effort.

Estrada struck out three and walked one before leaving the game after yielding a run-scoring double to Jed Lowrie in the fifth.

“I felt it on a pitch prior to that double,” Estrada told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I thought I’d be able to just stretch it out a little bit and hoping it would feel better. But I felt it pop and a little sharp pain in the lower part of the hammy.

“I tried making another pitch, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to reach out and extend that leg. I don’t feel like it’s really bad, because I’ve popped it before (in 2009 with the Washington Nationals), and I wasn’t able to stand on it. Right now, I can put pressure on it. When I try to extend my leg, try to stretch it, that’s when I feel it.”

In 12 starts, Estrada is 4-4 with a 5.32 earned-run average. He’s allowed a National League-high 14 home runs.

Through Friday, the Brewers are 23-37 and in last place in the National League’s Central Division.

Brandon McCarthy (Glendale native) starting pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks: McCarthy can’t seem to shake the injury front. Having battled numerous arm injuries since his career began in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox and a fractured skull after being hit by a line drive last season, the right-hander signed a two-year free-agent contract with Arizona during the offseason seeking a fresh start.

McCarthy recently learned he would miss additional time after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 1 with right-shoulder inflammation. It marked the eighth time in McCarthy’s career that he’s been assigned to the disabled list.

On Monday, McCarthy underwent an MRI exam. It showed a stress fracture of his right scapula. The Associated Press reported that McCarthy would begin a throwing program and might be back around the All-Star break in July.

“It’s getting less frustrating and more used to it, as annoying as that is,” McCarthy told the Associated Press. “At least you take away a lot of the unknown. I know what the recovery is, I know how long it takes for the whole thing. I know what I’m feeling for, that makes it a little easier, I’m not as worried. The fact that I still can’t figure out how to get around it or what it is, that’s kind of the difficult part.”

Leading up to his latest trip to the disabled list, McCarthy had been pitching fairly well. He’s 2-4 with a 5.00 ERA in 11 starts. In three appearances between May 12-24, McCarthy finished 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA. He tossed a career-best 18 innings without allowing a run between May 7-24.

He struggled in his last start May 30 against the host Texas Rangers. He surrendered six runs on nine hits in 2 2-3 innings, his shortest stint of the season.

Arizona Manager Kirk Gibson said the Diamondbacks decided to place McCarthy on the disabled list following the Texas contest.

“We knew going into last game he wasn’t feeling great,” Gibson told the Associated Press. “He’s had a history, so after his start he wasn’t feeling very good. You ask yourself whether you want to push through, is it going to happen now, is it inevitable? With his history we just thought the best course was to stop it right now.”

McCarthy is 2-4 with a 5.00 earned-run average in 11 appearances. He’s struck out 39 and walked 10 in 66 2/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks are 35-26 and in first place in the National League’s West Division.