The Minnesota Twins placed right-handed reliever Jorge Lopez on the 15-day injured list Sunday for mental health reasons.
Lopez did not allow a run in 11â…“ innings over 12 April outings, but he has struggled mightily the past month. In eight outings since May 21, Lopez, an All-Star last year for the Baltimore Orioles, has allowed 12 earned runs in 6â…“ innings.
"I think it's definitely the right move for him, and I'm actually glad that he's open to the idea of doing it," manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters, according to MLB.com. "And [it's] something that we are going to take advantage of right now and get him in the best possible place to come back."
Lopez, 30, is 2-2 with three saves and a 5.00 ERA in 29 appearances this season.
The Twins recalled Jordan Balazovic from Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move. He made his major league debut in Minnesota's 7-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, allowing two hits and a walk and striking out two batters in 3â…” innings.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.