Anthony Gose recalled by Blue Jays as Colby Rasmus hits DL

The Toronto Blue Jays placed outfielder Colby Rasmus on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, recalled outfielder Anthony Gose from triple-A Buffalo and sent right-hander Dustin McGowan back to the bullpen.

Rasmus, who is dealing with tightness in his right hamstring, is batting .222 with nine homers and 19 RBIs in 37 games this season. The move was retroactive to Tuesday, the Blue Jays said in a release.

McGowan was a starter earlier in his career before injuries kept him off the mound for extended periods of time. He rebounded last year with a decent season out of the bullpen and the team gave him another shot as a starter.

The right-hander was 2-2 with a 5.08 earned-run average over eight starts this season.

"I think it makes us stronger," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of the move in a pre-game availability. "I've always thought that but I'm also on board with the other thing. In talking to him, he's feeling healthy and all that, but the last couple of starts the recovery time he hasn't felt as good. And I think it would be a shame for him to end up getting hurt out there again and his career is over.

"That's part of my thinking. We're not talking about an average Joe out there. He was better than that last year. He could be a top-notch reliever for a few more years."

The Blue Jays did not immediately name a replacement for McGowan in the rotation. He was scheduled to start Tuesday in Boston.

Gibbons mentioned right-handers Marcus Stroman and Todd Redmond as possibilities from the current 25-man roster. Another possibility is right-hander Liam Hendriks, who is 5-0 with a 1.51 ERA for the Bisons.

Gose has appeared in three games for Toronto this season. He entered Thursday night's game against Cleveland with a .333 average with two RBIs.

In 28 games with the Bisons, Gose has a .236 average with two home runs and 10 RBIs.