A's send scuffling Gray to DL with strained trapezius

The Oakland Athletics' injury-ravaged rotation suffered another big blow Sunday when the club placed scuffling right-hander Sonny Gray on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained right trapezius.

"We just made a decision to try to knock this thing out as quick as possible and not look back from it," Gray told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

After getting off to an impressive start this year, posting a 2.73 ERA over his first four starts, Gray fizzled hard over the past four weeks, stumbling to a 10.38 ERA since April 27 while failing to pitch past the fourth inning in three of his last five starts before landing on the DL. Almost two months into the 2016 campaign, Gray owns the fourth-worst ERA (6.19) among qualified starters.

Gray, an All-Star for the first time last year, said the trapezius discomfort he first experienced May 15 in Tampa Bay resurfaced during Friday's start against the New York Yankees, in which he allowed four runs on six hits and four walks over 3 1/3 innings.

"Warming up against the Yankees in the fourth inning, it locked back up the way it did in the bullpen in Tampa," Gray said. "I definitely noticed a difference warming up the inning, it was just a matter of getting extension and getting out in front."

In a corresponding move, the Athletics recalled left-hander Daniel Coulombe from Triple-A Nashville to replace Gray, who joins fellow starters Henderson Alvarez (shoulder surgery) and Chris Bassitt (Tommy John surgery) on the disabled list.