MIAMI -- Josh Beckett will take his time returning to the Florida Marlins.

The 22-year-old right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, one day after being diagnosed with an elbow sprain. He will be allowed to resume throwing in a week, but he doesn't want to put a timetable on pitching again.

"I'm going to take it slow," Beckett said. "I don't want to rush anything. I want to be out there as much as anybody wants me to be, but I'm not going to tear myself up. I've got to take this thing slow, get back to 100 percent and pitch every fifth day."

Beckett was examined in Birmingham, Ala., by orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. The appointment was hastily scheduled after Beckett pitched just one inning Wednesday night against San Francisco because of elbow discomfort.

After the game, Beckett acknowledged that his arm had bothered him since mid-April, and he had misled team trainers and the coaching staff by saying little about his symptoms.

"It's my fault," said Beckett, who is 2-3 with a 3.76 ERA in eight starts. "There's no blame anywhere else but with me. They didn't pitch me too much."

Beckett has never had elbow trouble. As a minor leaguer in 2000 he had tendinitis, a slightly torn labrum and an impingement and fraying of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Last year he spent three stints on the disabled list because of recurring blisters on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

Manager Jeff Torborg said he won't rush Beckett's return and will keep an ``eagle eye'' on him in the future.

"I'm going to be so constantly aware of what he looks like and what he's doing," Torborg said.

Also Friday, the Marlins purchased the contract of left-hander Dontrelle Willis from Double-A Carolina and recalled right-hander Blaine Neal from Albuquerque. Willis made his first major league start against Colorado on Friday night.

Florida sent outfielder Gerald Williams to Triple-A Albuquerque after Thursday night's game.