CHICAGO – Cleveland Indians reliever Steve Woodard was hit by Frank Thomas' line drive on his right elbow Monday night, and had to be taken off the field on the stretcher.

	Steve Woodard is surrounded by the team's assistant trainer, left, trainer and pitching coach after being hit on the right arm by a Frank Thomas line drive. Woodard did not suffer a break.

Two sets of X-rays were negative, but Woodard was going to spend Monday night at Palos Community Hospital for observation. He was placed on the disabled list on Tuesday, and Indians recalled righthander Jake Westbrook from Buffalo of the Class AAA International League.

"I'd say it's going to be a while," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's going to have some severe swelling."

Thomas lined a shot back at Woodard in the sixth inning. The right-hander turned, but the ball hit him on his pitching elbow.

After Woodard was hit, he dropped to the ground and rolled over several times, clutching his arm and writhing in pain. He came to a stop about 10 feet from the mound and lay on his back, but he was still grimacing and kicking his legs as trainers and Dr. Scott Price, a White Sox team physician, worked on him.

"He just said he thought his arm was broken," Indians first baseman Jim Thome said. "When you see him out there and you can't do anything about it, it's hard."

Thomas stood at first base watching Woodard, his hands on his helmet. When the rest of the Indians gathered around Woodard, Thomas joined them.

"I feel bad because I hit the ball extremely hard," Thomas said. "It was a defensive situation and he couldn't do anything."

After about 10 minutes, Woodard's right arm was immobilized in an air cast and he was put on a stretcher, still in obvious pain. He got a standing ovation as he was wheeled off the field.

"He said it was hurting him," Manuel said. "He just said it was killing him."

Woodard was originally expected to be Cleveland's fifth starter this year, but he was beat out in spring training by C.C. Sabathia and Tim Drew.

The loss of Woodard is more bad news for the Indians, who are still a few weeks away from getting starters Jaret Wright and Charles Nagy back. Wright is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder, and Nagy from surgery on his right elbow.

The Indians were plagued by injuries last year, too, using a major-league record 32 pitchers.