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 11⅓ 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 6⅓ 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 3⅔ innings.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.