Tanner Scheppers to DL

Less than 24 hours removed from a game in which Tanner Scheppers failed to get out of the 3rd inning against the Seattle Mariners, word has trickled down through the normal beat-writers that he has been placed on the disabled list with inflammation a muscle in his right elbow.

According to Jon Daniels, it's likely that Nick Martinez will take Scheppers' spot in the rotation on Tuesday, and just like that, it's highly likely that we've seen the last of Tanner Scheppers in the rotation, at least for this season.

Once Tanner is able to come back, I'll be surprised if he's put anywhere but back in a relief role, but stranger things have certainly happened.

I'm left to wonder how much the soreness and inflammation have affected his ability to pitch effectively, and for how long. If it's related to the same soreness he experienced during Spring Training, it's entirely plausible that he would have struggled out of the gates even as a reliever.

Scheppers won't throw for 10 days, at which point he'll be reevaluated. I'd guess we won't know much more on his status until then, at the earliest, but given the sensitive nature of arm injuries, the Rangers may elect to take things a bit slower with Tanner if the bullpen is pitching effectively, especially when considering past injuries to the reliever-turned-starter.