Reds place Mike Leake on disabled list with fatigued shoulder

Earlier this week the Reds hinted about possibly shutting Mike Leake down for the season and this afternoon they placed the 22-year-old rookie on the disabled list with a “fatigued right shoulder.” Leake has already thrown 138.1 innings this season after skipping the minors to join the Opening Day rotation, so the Reds moved him to the bullpen last week in an effort to limit his workload. Leake struggled in two relief outings, including giving up six runs while recording one out Tuesday. Since going 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA through his first 11 starts Leake has allowed 55 runs in 66 innings, during which time opponents have hit .336 with a .560 slugging percentage. Toss in the Reds’ sudden logjam of capable starters and giving him a break was a pretty easy call. It’ll be interesting to see if they give him a shot to contribute at some point next month or if the Reds no longer have Leake in their playoff plans.