Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte goes on disabled list with single shoulder injury

And just like, the baseball world is without our switch-pitching hero Pat Venditte again.

Venditte, the Oakland Athletics reliever who pitches with both his right and left arms, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a right shoulder strain. He was called up last Friday and the world went gaga over baseball’s first amphibious ambidextrous pitcher of the modern era.

Sorry to ruin your jokes, but yes, Venditte just hurt one of his shoulders, so he could still pitch with his left arm, but the A’s wouldn’t prefer it. John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group explains their thinking:

The strength of Venditte’s game is his ability to match up with the opposing lineup, throwing right-handed against right-handed batters and lefty against left-handed hitters. He isn’t overpowering from either side, but his matchups tend to negate the opposing hitters’ strength.

So while he could still conceivably throw left-handed only, his biggest weapon would be gone, so the A’s decided to do what they can to get him well because he’s proven in just a week to be an asset in the A’s bullpen.

Also, the A’s are overloaded with lefty relievers in Eric O’Flaherty, Drew Pomeranz and Fernando Abad. What the club needs is another right-hander, so they’ve recalled Arnold Leon from Triple-A Nashville.

Venditte has been more than a gimmick thus far. He pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in four games. This was Venditte’s first stint in the big leagues after eight seasons in the minors. You have to figure he’ll be eager to return as soon as possible.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz