Indians' Ryan Merritt: Shut down with shoulder inflammation

Merritt (knee) was diagnosed Sunday with left shoulder inflammation and will be shut down from throwing for about 3-to-5 days, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Merritt opened the campaign on the 10-day disabled list after a left knee issue suffered during the offseason delayed him in spring training, but the shoulder injury now looks to be the greater concern. The lefty made just one rehab start at Triple-A Columbus on May 4 before his rehab was put on hold after he felt "sluggish" while throwing, according to Bastian. Even if Merritt receives clearance to resume throwing next week and goes ahead with his rehab assignment soon thereafter, he'll likely need multiple outings to build up to a starter's workload. That will likely delay his activation until at least June, making him a candidate to shift to the 60-day DL if the Indians need to open up a 40-man roster spot for another player.