Yanks place Lofton and DePaula on 15-day DL

[WebHamster]

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees placed outfielder Kenny Lofton and pitcher Jorge DePaula on the 15-day disabled list prior to Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox.

Lofton, who is suffering from a strained right quadriceps muscle, has been unhappy thus far with his role with New York. The veteran is batting .167 with four hits in 24 at-bats.

He was signed in the offseason to compete with Bernie Williams for the starting spot in center. However, manager Joe Torre elected to go with Williams, which caused Lofton to become disgruntled about playing time.

DePaula, who has only made one start this season, is suffering from a sprain in his right elbow. The righthander was charged with five runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of work during a 7-3 setback against the Chicago White Sox on April 10.

Righthanded pitcher Scott Proctor and lefthander Alex Graman have been activated to fill the roster spots.