Dodgers starting pitcher McCarthy out for season with torn UCL

Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy will miss the rest of the season with a torn elbow ligament, creating a hole in the middle of the rotation for a Los Angeles team with World Series aspirations.

McCarthy left Saturday's game at San Diego in the sixth inning when he gave up his third home run of the night in an 11-8 victory. He had an MRI that revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament, ending his first season with the Dodgers after four starts.

The slim right-hander was 3-0 despite a 5.87 ERA and nine home runs allowed in 23 innings. The 10-year veteran, who turns 32 on July 7, signed a $48 million, four-year contract with the Dodgers in December after spending last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees.

McCarthy was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday, retroactive to April 26. Left-hander Adam Liberatore was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

This is McCarthy's 11th trip to the DL since making his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2005, but none of the previous ones were due to an elbow injury. He has pitched for six teams, including Texas and Oakland, and is 55-65 with a 4.13 ERA.