ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Right-hander Jose Rijo was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday night, giving the Cincinnati Reds room for newly acquired third baseman Russell Branyan.

	Rijo

The Reds got Branyan from the Cleveland Indians earlier Friday in a trade for minor league first baseman Ben Broussard. Branyan will be added to the 25-man roster when he joins the team in Anaheim on Saturday.

The Reds put Rijo on the disabled list before they opened an interleague series against the Angels. Rijo, 37, has struggled since throwing 110 pitches in a game May 3.

He was demoted to the bullpen last week as the team tried to figure out what to do with him. He hasn't been able to pitch more than a few innings before fading.

``Don't forget I haven't pitched this many innings in seven years,'' Rijo said Wednesday. ``I think it was just so many pitches in one day, then my arm had a hard time catching up without any rest. I'd pitch five good innings, then my arm was going. There's got to be something to that.''

Rijo, the MVP of the Reds' 1990 World Series sweep of Oakland, had the first of five major elbow operations in 1995. He returned last season as a reliever and made the Reds' bullpen in spring training this year.

He went back into the rotation in April and started strong, but developed a stiff shoulder after a 6-1 loss in San Francisco on May 3. He began fading in the fourth or fifth inning of his starts, prompting the club to skip one of his scheduled starts so he could rest.

Rijo got another start, but gave up seven runs in five innings in an 8-4 loss to Atlanta on June 1, prompting the Reds to move him into the bullpen.

Rijo accepted the decision graciously, and was placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 2.

In eight starts and five relief appearances, Rijo has gone 4-3 with a 5.21 ERA.