Tribe makes it official: Sabathia headed to DL

He may be out several weeks with a strained right oblique muscle.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Cleveland Indians ace lefty C.C. Sabathia was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday and is expected to be out three to five weeks with a strained right oblique muscle.
The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Sabathia was hurt in Sunday night's season opener against the Chicago White Sox and had to leave in the third inning after throwing just 37 pitches. His injury is similar to one he had a year ago when he began the season on the DL after hurting the muscle in spring training. He missed six weeks but still finished 15-10.
"It's not as bad as it was last year," Sabathia said before Tuesday's game against the White Sox. "It feels good today. I feel zero pain. Last year it hurt for about a week or so. I woke up yesterday and it felt a little sore. Today I feel no pain."
Will hurt Tribe
But Sabathia's absence will certainly hurt the Indians, who hoped to get off to a quick start this season in hopes of dethroning the White Sox in the AL Central.
"It's clearly disappointing and it's also part of the game," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said.
Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff said Sabathia's weight is not a problem and Shapiro noted that Sabathia had made at least 30 starts for five straight seasons. It is just Sabathia's second trip to the DL in a major league career that began in 2001.
"I would say that his size plays into that, not his weight," Soloff said. "We are comfortable where he is from a weight standpoint."
Sabathia said he's been steadfast with his conditioning. He pulled out of pitching for the U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic so he would be ready for the season, another sign of his resolve to be the Indians' No. 1 starter.
"I'm working hard and doing everything I can to stay on top of that. I have been for the past two years," he said.
"Conditioning has always been an important part of C.C.'s game, mainly more than most because he's such a big guy," manager Eric Wedge said.
"He's been consistent with it and as strong as he's every been. ... As electric as it was other night, he probably tried to reach back and do a little more and tweaked it."
May recover sooner
Soloff said that Sabathia's arm should be ready to respond from the layoff sooner than a year ago because he pitched in spring training. In 2005 he was hurt warming up before his first spring start on March 6, went on the DL officially on March 25 and wasn't activated until April 16.
The Indians called up 6-foot-6 reliever Jason Davis to take Sabathia's spot on the roster. Cleveland doesn't need a fifth starter until April 15 because of off days so the team will get by with four starters and then find a spot starter. The rest of the rotation is Jake Westbrook, Cliff Lee, Jason Johnson and Paul Byrd.
Sabathia felt the muscle grab when he pitched to Tadahito Iguchi in the third inning Sunday. He tried some warmup pitches but had to leave the game after just 21/3 innings.