Barry Zito was demoted to the bullpen Monday by the San Francisco Giants, who hope the former ace can correct his problems by working in relief.

Zito, who only 16 months ago signed a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Giants to lead their rotation, was informed of the move in a meeting with manager Bruce Bochy.

"I'm certainly not happy with it, by any means," Zito said. "But this is the bed that I've made. I have to lay in it for the time being and I have to overcome. I trust management and I trust what their decisions are."

The left-hander has lost his first six starts this season and has a 7.53 ERA that jumped considerably after Zito was tagged for eight earned runs in a 10-1 loss Sunday to Cincinnati.

The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner with Oakland, Zito lasted just three innings against the Reds and was booed frequently by the crowd at AT&T Park during his shortest outing of the year.

"It's good sometimes just to back off," Bochy said. "It's happened to a lot of great players, position players and even pitchers. We just felt at this point it's time for him to sit back, miss a start and help us in the pen."

A three-time All-Star and San Francisco's opening-day starter this season, Zito is only the third pitcher since 1956 to go 0-6 before May, joining Texas' Dave Stewart (1984) and Detroit's Mike Maroth (2003).

Yankees place Posada on disabled list: The New York Yankees played missing a familiar face: Jorge Posada, the club's proud catcher and one of its leaders, was in Alabama getting his injured right shoulder examined.

Posada was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career, ending a remarkable run of durability at baseball's most physically demanding position. The 36-year-old, who has caught at least 137 games in each of the past eight seasons, finally succumbed to pain in his shoulder that he had been feeling for most of the season's first month.

"It's kind of strange to go into the clubhouse and you don't see him," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who helped teach Posada in the 1990s. "He's a quiet leader. He's a constant in the clubhouse, you like to see guys like that."

With Posada out, Jose Molina will take over the starting catching duties. The Yankees also recalled 26-year-old Chris Stewart from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees said Posada was scheduled to visit famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. The club did not know whether Posada had yet been examined by Andrews.

Smoltz to have shoulder examined: After lasting only four innings Sunday in New York, Braves pitcher John Smoltz returned to Atlanta and is to have his troublesome right shoulder examined today.

Smoltz started the season on the disabled list with tightness in the back of the shoulder. He entered Sunday's game with an 0.78 earned run average but now faces a possible return to the disabled list.

Blalock headed to DL with hamstring injury: Texas Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock has a small tear in his left hamstring and will be out at least three weeks.

Blalock had an MRI, followed by an injection. The two-time All-Star hurt himself running out a double Friday night and hasn't played since.

Struggling Morris released: Matt Morris, the veteran right-hander added by the Pittsburgh Pirates late last season to stabilize a young rotation, was released after failing to pitch past the second inning in his latest start.

Morris fell to 0-4 with a 9.67 ERA after giving up six runs, three earned, and six hits in 123 innings during an 8-4 loss to the Phillies on Saturday night.

The decision to cut him will cost the Pirates more than $10 million, besides what they already have paid him this season. Morris is making $9.5 million, or about one-fifth of the Pirates' payroll, and has a $1 million buyout for 2009.

Reds send reliever Coffey to minors: Reds right-hander Todd Coffey was sent to the minors, the latest move by Cincinnati to get their one-time setup man back on track.

The Reds optioned Coffey to Triple-A Louisville and called up left-hander Bill Bray, who missed most of spring training with a sore pitching shoulder. Bray gave up one run in 823 innings for Louisville.