To avoid the DL, Andy Pettitte would have had to throw a full, pain-free bullpen session on Tuesday, something the lefty could not guarantee. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CHICAGO -- During a brief throwing session at Wrigley Field on Monday, Andy Pettitte was hoping to prove to his manager and pitching coach that he was healthy enough to continue to work toward making his scheduled start in Seattle on June 7.
Pettitte, who is battling a muscle strain in his left forearm, pleaded his case to manager Jimy Williams and pitching coach Burt Hooton, but to no avail. A few minutes later, the Astros officially announced they had placed Pettitte on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 27.
To take his place in the roster, the Astros activated right-hander Chad Harville from the 15-day disabled list. Right-hander Brandon Duckworth, who was slated to make a spot start in Pettitte's place on Tuesday, will now remain in the rotation and start in Seattle on Monday.
For Pettitte to avoid the DL, he would first have had to throw a full, pain-free bullpen session on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Pettitte couldn't make any guarantees that he could do that.
Andy Pettitte / P
Born: 06/15/72
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: L
"He's better today," Williams said. "He felt better. But in his mind, not good enough to maybe even get up on that mound tomorrow and throw a bullpen. Now he doesn't have to make himself get back up on that mound. He has to do it with his own time frame, with how his arm feels."
"They were wanting me to be able to throw a bullpen tomorrow, to be able to start Monday," Pettitte said. "I couldn't tell them if I could throw a bullpen tomorrow or not. For me to throw a bullpen tomorrow, I'd need to back up and long toss today. I probably could have done it, but I didn't think it would be the smartest thing."
Pettitte admitted he was displeased wth the decision. He was hoping he could work toward throwing a bullpen on Saturday, two days prior to his start in Seattle.
"I'm not happy at all," he said. "But I understand where this is coming from. I don't think there's much more to say. I don't want to go on the DL, but I understand also where they're coming from."
"I'm not happy at all. But I understand where this is coming from. I don't think there's much more to say. I don't want to go on the DL, but I understand also where they're coming from."
-- Andy Pettitte
The muscle strain is a new injury for Pettitte, who missed three weeks in April with a strain in his elbow. The 31-year-old left-hander returned from the DL to go 4-0 over his next six starts before he was forced from the game on May 26 after four innings with his most recent setback.
Considering Williams is one of the game's most cautious managers when it comes to protecting pitchers' arms, Pettitte didn't have much of a chance to convince his superiors to take a chance for the sake of one extra start.
"This is just another example of why you have to take the decision out of the player's hands and put it in the hands of the people who can be objective," general manager Gerry Hunsicker said. "No athlete wants to go on the disabled list. It's always been like that and it always will be.
"This is two months into the season. He's got 20 plus starts left in the year. To be cautious and miss one additional start makes all the sense in the world."
If Pettitte is activated from the DL on time, he could start the final game of the four-city road trip, in Milwaukee on June 13.
Until then, the left-hander will continue playing catch every day as well as receive minor treatments from the training staff.
"I feel like I have a lot of time now, and that's what they want," Pettitte said. "I would imagine I'll be throwing every day. I think I need to keep throwing every day, unless they tell me not to."
Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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