Diamondbacks LHP Johnson scratched from start

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:07 PM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Arizona Diamondbacks lefthander Randy Johnson will be scratched from his scheduled start against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a sore left shoulder, the team announced on Saturday.

Johnson was slated to start Sunday's finale, but it will be rookie righthander Max Scherzer instead.

The future Hall of Famer, who turns 45 on Wednesday, will return to Arizona to see team physician Michael Lee. He will start next Saturday against Cincinnati if everything goes according to plan.

Johnson struggled in his last outing on Monday, when he allowed five runs and six hits - four home runs - in 3 2/3 innings of an 8-6 win over St. Louis.

"I felt like this might be the opportunity to get a little bit of a breather for my shoulder and then get it ready to finish the last four games that I have and then postseason," said Johnson, who is six wins shy of becoming the 24th pitcher in history to win 300 games.

It will be the first start Johnson has missed since April 14 - a rather remarkable feat for the brittle 21-year veteran, who had back surgery in each of the past two seasons. He is 10-9 with a 4.21 ERA in 26 starts in 2008.

Scherzer, the 11th overall pick in 2006, is 0-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 appearances with the Diamondbacks. The 23-year-old, who consistently hits 98 miles per hour with his fastball, will be making his fourth career start.