The move made Friday was retroactive to April 30, a day after the right-hander last appeared in a game. That means he could return to start next Saturday against the Angels in Anaheim.
"I have no choice. I have to give the cortisone time," Duchscherer said. "I'm definitely encouraged. I feel great and feel like they definitely got the right spot."
The A's recalled righty reliever Edwar Ramirez from Triple-A Sacramento to fill Duchscherer's roster spot. This will be Ramirez's second stint with Oakland this season after making the opening day roster and going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in six relief appearances. He was optioned to Sacramento on April 27 and made three appearances. He had only one walk in four innings, so he's encouraged he's finding his command again.
While he held A's opponents to a .194 batting average he also had eight walks in 10 innings.
"It helped me a lot," he said of his brief trip to the minors. "I was up there working on some things. I walked too many people. I worked on my control."
Duchscherer, who missed all of last season recovering from elbow surgery and then a bout with clinical depression, said he felt fine after playing catch during Thursday's off day. He is set to throw a bullpen session Monday before the team travels to Texas.
Duchscherer is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in five starts this season. He left his last outing April 29 at Toronto after just 3 1-3 innings because of discomfort in the hip.
"I feel 100 percent right now," Duchscherer said. "I have no fear of completely ruining my hip."
He becomes the 11th A's player on the DL this year and ninth currently, the most since also having nine on May 29, 2008. Oakland has used the disabled list 75 times since the start of the 2007 season.
Injured lefty starter Brett Anderson, on the DL with a left forearm strain and elbow inflammation, began a 2-to-3 week throwing program Friday. He made 30 throws in the outfield and was scheduled to throw again Saturday.
Sidelined catcher Kurt Suzuki tested his strained left side muscle with running in the outfield and was set to do start hitting off a tee Saturday, then take batting practice from the coaches Sunday.
Outfielder Travis Buck, nursing a strained right oblique muscle, and injured second baseman Mark Ellis, who has a strained left hamstring, are both rehabilitating in Arizona. Buck is limited to range of motion exercises, while Ellis finished Day 6 of his program.
"He's passing every test," manager Bob Geren said. "He's still a ways off but he hasn't had any setbacks."
Center fielder Coco Crisp, yet to make his A's debut because of a broken left pinkie, had another X-ray on the finger to determine the next step in his rehab schedule.
Valeron and Riki sign new dealsNew York Yankees nab three Oakland Athletics for first triple play since 1968
