Nationals place RHP Todd Coffey on DL, recall RHP Collin Balester

By Lindsay Rykiel

Nationals

April 17, 2011, 6:34am

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The Washington Nationals today placed right-handed pitcher Todd Coffey on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to April 9, with a left calf strain and recalled right-handed pitcher Collin Balester from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Balester earned the promotion to Washington after working 5.0 scoreless innings of relief for Syracuse this season. In those 3.0 innings, Balester fanned six, walked three and allowed four hits. He worked 2.0 one-hit scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his most-recent appearance, Mon. at Lehigh Valley (Phillies). Balester, 24, fashioned a 2.57 ERA and 12.0 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 17 appearances with the Nationals in 2010, his first season pitching out of the bullpen at the big league level. He is 4-12 with a 5.25 ERA in 39 career games/22 starts spanning three seasons (2008-10) with Washington. Coffey is 1-0 with a 6.23 ERA in five appearances with the Nationals this season. The 30 year-old earned the win on April 7 at Sun Life Stadium, as Washington bested the Marlins, 5-3, in 11 innings.