Red Sox reliever Hembree placed on IL with elbow strain

BALTIMORE (AP) — Boston Red Sox reliever Heath Hembree has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right elbow.

Hembree is 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA and one save in 31 appearances. He is working on a streak of nine straight games without allowing a run.

"I know my arm pretty good," Hembree said before the Red Sox faced the Orioles at Camden Yards on Friday. "It's nothing that I'm concerned about. I can tell that there's not really any damage; it's just soreness."

The right-hander last pitched Monday, retiring all four batters he faced in a loss to Texas. Manager Alex Cora wanted to use Hembree against the Rangers on Thursday, but was forced to summon Josh Smith.

"I gave them my word, basically, before the game I was good-to-go and then got up in the seventh and couldn't do it," Hembree said. "We shut it down."

Cora does not expect to be without the 30-year-old reliever for long.

"It's one of those that we'd rather stay away from him for a while. He should be fine in around 10 days," Cora said. "It's actually retroactive (to June 11). He's been throwing the ball so well we don't want to take a chance. So we made the move."

Boston recalled rookie left-hander Josh Taylor to fill the void in the bullpen. Taylor has a 10.80 ERA in five games with Boston this season.