Angels place reliever Francisco Rodriguez on DL; Kevin Jepsen recalled from triple A

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The Angels placed right-hander Francisco Rodriguez on the 15-day disabled list because of a shoulder injury on Wednesday and recalled right-hander Kevin Jepsen from triple-A Salt Lake.

An MRI test revealed what Rodriguez called “labrum damage,” but the reliever said he will probably be able to forego surgery in favor of a rehabilitation program to build strength.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to be out,” Rodriguez said. “It could be two weeks, it could be two months. Right now, we just need to stop the inflammation.”

Jepsen was the team’s primary setup man in 2009, when he went 6-4 with a 4.94 earned-run average in 54 games, and one of the team’s top short relievers in 2010, when he went 2-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 68 games.

But Jepsen struggled so much early this season, going 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his first five appearances, that the Angels demoted him to Salt Lake on April 10, a move that shocked Jepsen and many of his teammates. He had a 4.76 ERA in 12 triple-A games.

“You never want to get sent down again once you get here,” Jepsen said, “but the bottom line is you’ve got to get guys out.”

Rodriguez, who had a 4.61 ERA in 10 games for the Angels, said he started feeling shoulder pain in spring training, but he decided to pitch through it rather than inform Manager Mike Scioscia or the team’s medical staff.

But after throwing two hitless innings against the Chicago White Sox on Monday night, the pain worsened.

“It’s kind of sad that after my best outing of the year, I had to shut it down,” Rodriguez said.

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-- Mike DiGiovanna