Astros place reliever Smith (elbow) on DL

ARLINGTON -- Astros right-handed reliever Joe Smith has been placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to June 7, with soreness in his right elbow, and he'll undergo an MRI and exam by team doctors in Houston on Monday.
To replace Smith on the roster, the Astros have recalled left-handed pitcher Reymin Guduan from Triple-A Fresno. Guduan was expected to arrive at Globe Life Park close to game time Sunday.
Smith, 34, said he felt the soreness after his outing against the Mariners last Wednesday. He issued a walk and allowed one run over two-thirds of an inning in that game.
"After that last game, it was just causing some fits," Smith said. "I tried to take a couple days off, and it just hasn't responded the right way. I'll get it looked at and see what's going on."
Smith, whom the Astros signed to a two-year contract in the offseason, has appeared in 23 games this season, allowing 12 runs over 19 2/3 innings for a 5.49 ERA. After a poor April (8.64 ERA), Smith pitched well in May, allowing one run over eight innings in nine appearances.
Manager AJ Hinch said the decision to put Smith on the DL arrived when it was clear the elbow soreness was more than just a minor tweak that required a day or two of rest.
"It wasn't bad, and then it felt a little better, then it felt a little worse," Hinch said. "Then it got to the point where we weren't going to use him again today. You're starting to talk about four and five days off.
"It can be something as simple as a 10-day DL, or it could be something a little bit more. But given that he wasn't available again [Sunday], we made a decision to add to our bullpen, given how much our bullpen has been used the last couple days. Putting Joe on the DL and getting a full diagnosis from our doctor is a high priority."
Guduan, 26, has a 3.10 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 20 relief appearances for Triple-A Fresno. He has yielded 11 runs (10 earned), with 18 walks and 43 strikeouts.
Correa nearing return
Shortstop Carlos Correa completed the final step of his recovery process when he performed a series of fielding drills without incident Sunday. Barring a setback, he should be back in the lineup when the Astros begin a three-game series vs. the A's in Oakland on Tuesday.

Correa missed the entire four-game set with the Rangers, more for precautionary reasons than anything injury-related. He hasn't felt any soreness in his side since the injury forced him from the game Wednesday. Hinch and the medical staff opted to take an "ultra-conservative" approach with their All-Star shortstop to ensure nothing will happen when Correa goes through regular movements over the course of a game.
"He wants to play, and he wants to test it out," Hinch said. "With a day off [Monday] the smartest thing to do was give him today, give him tomorrow, and then Tuesday he'll be more than ready to come back and resume his everyday role."
Two things happened during Correa's absence: The Astros won three games, and Correa was bonkers with boredom.
"I'm so bored," Correa said with a chuckle. "I don't know what to do with my life right now."