By Adam Kilgore
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 2, 2006; E09

The Washington Nationals placed starting pitcher Shawn Hill on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, retroactive to Thursday, and reinstated Pedro Astacio from the 60-day disabled list.

Hill experienced inflammation in his right elbow after his last start Wednesday but wasn't expecting to be sidelined. The Nationals, however, want to be careful with the rookie.

"We're cautious with all our young pitchers," General Manager Jim Bowden said. "We try to take care of them for the long run. We all know where we are in the standings."

"It's good and bad," Hill said. "It's good in the sense of looking out [for me]. They're not going to push me through it. At the same time, I don't want to go on the DL."

Though Washington pegged Astacio (strained right forearm) as its starter tomorrow, Astacio expressed concern he might not be ready. Astacio, who last pitched for Washington on April 1, threw around 30 pitches in a rehab start Wednesday at Class AA Harrisburg, his fifth such start this season.

To make room for Astacio, the Nationals gave right-hander Santiago Ramirez his unconditional release.

Marlon Byrd shouted at Nationals security director Emory Waters in the clubhouse before yesterday's game because Byrd believed his car may have been vandalized in the players' parking lot at RFK Stadium.

Byrd believed his car had been broken into while parked at RFK Stadium during the team's recent road trip. No other cars showed signs of break-in or vandalism. The team informed Byrd it would check the surveillance tapes. In the clubhouse, Byrd repeatedly yelled at Waters, "What are you going to do for me?"

Waters replied, "I'm not going to sit here in the open and get yelled at," and whisked Byrd into a room reserved for team personnel.

Byrd's car was stolen from the players' lot last June during a road trip when the cars of several teammates were vandalized. Joe Gentile, a D.C. police spokesman, said his department knew nothing about the vandalism. . . .

The Nationals introduced their two 2006 first-round draft picks, outfielder Chris Marrero (15th overall) and pitcher Colton Willems (22), yesterday at a news conference.

Staff writer Paul Schwartzman contributed to this report.