CINCINNATI -- Reds reliever Gary Majewski's lack of effectiveness had been a mystery since he was acquired last month.
The club now knows the reason. Yet, the answer has created more questions.
On Monday, Majewski was placed on the 15-day disabled list with what originally was termed right shoulder inflammation. An MRI taken on the right-hander showed he had a "tired shoulder."
It wasn't known how long Majewski would be out, but the information was a sigh of relief for Cincinnati.
"He needs rest," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "He needs some strengthening. There's nothing structurally wrong. He doesn't need surgery."
Majewski, who owns a 12.53 ERA in his 11 games with the Reds, revealed Monday he's had trouble with his shoulder long before joining the team.
"It's been bothering me for a while," said Majewski, who is 4-4 with a 4.87 ERA in 57 games this season. "After the World Baseball Classic, I tried to fire it up too quick."
But that wasn't all.
"I've been on anti-inflammatory [medication] most of the year," Majewski added. "Right before the break, I had a cortisone shot. I was feeling good the past couple of weeks, but the past week, when it started wearing off, it wasn't allowing me to be out in front. A lot of my pitches were right down the middle."
The 26-year-old Majewski was part of an eight-player trade with the Nationals on July 13 that also brought reliever Bill Bray and shortstop Royce Clayton in exchange for Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner.
What did the Reds know about Majewski's arm, and when did they know it? What did the Nationals know?
Krivsky would not address the issue. It was known that team medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek did not examine the pitcher before the deal was made.
"I'm not going to talk about anything that was done before the trade [or] what was said, what wasn't said, what was exchanged," Krivsky said. "The bottom line is he has a tired shoulder."
However, if it was learned that the Nationals were aware of an injury before they made the deal, the Reds could potentially cite "damaged goods" and file a grievance with the league.
Majewski, who gave up four eighth-inning runs and lost a two-run lead in a 6-4 setback to the Braves on Sunday, did not tell anyone with the Reds about his situation until Monday. And that was on a suggestion from his fiancée as he drove her to the airport on Sunday night.
"She told me to say something," Majewski said. "I said something first thing when I came in [Monday] morning. There are certain things you can pitch through and certain things you can't. I just thought 'tendinitis, pitch through it and hopefully it will go away.' The last week, after every game, it was getting worse and worse. When I pitched, my arm felt fine, but when I was done and cooled down, it would tighten up real fast."
Majewski had been considered a durable and repeatable bullpen arm since he broke into the Major Leagues in 2004. His 65 innings pitched that season was tied for most among National League relievers. He worked 86 innings for the Nationals last season and 2 2/3 innings for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic in March.
With Cincinnati, Majewski was charged with at least one run in seven of his 11 games. He retired the first batter he faced in only three of his 11 appearances, a telling statistic for a struggling reliever. "He had everything that shows that he's got fatigue," Kremchek said of the MRI. "He's a young kid. He's thrown a lot. He needs some time to get it better. So, we're going to get it better over the next few weeks."