Dodgers place Hong-Chih Kuo on DL with strained back

Dodgers setup man Hong-Chih Kuo has been injured since spring training, but he was placed on the 15-day disabled list just yesterday because he didn’t bother to tell anyone.

According to Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News, Kuo strained a muscle in his lower back in March and tried to pitch through it before the Dodgers finally asked him to take an MRI this weekend and found the root of his problems.

Kuo hit the DL before Saturday night’s game and left behind a 3.38 ERA and 1.88 WHIP. Known mostly for having great control, he’s already walked four batters in just over two innings.

“We were wondering why he was always leaving (pitches) up, up, up, all the time always up,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “He had trouble getting the ball down, even in the pen. The same thing happened (Friday) when he warmed up. We had to do something.”

The Dodgers called up righty Ramon Troncoso from Triple-A Albuquerque to serve as Kuo’s temporary replacement. Right now, the club does not have a left-hander in the bullpen.