Nick Johnson returns to the DL (for the 14th time in the past 12 years)

Nick Johnson is on the disabled list.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Or is it just hard to believe that it took this long this year?

Johnson has quite a streak going, quite a sad streak. He has now missed significant time with injuries in each of his 10 big-league seasons, in addition to spending the entire year on the major-league DL before he had even made his official big-league debut. Oh, and he was on the DL twice last year, when he spent the entire season in the minor leagues.

That's 14 trips to the DL in 12 years, including two that cost him entire seasons, plus a surgery that didn't officially send him to the DL but ended his season.

This time, the Orioles said Thursday that Johnson has a sprained right wrist, and Xavier Avery was called up to replace him. According to reports out of Baltimore, Johnson will have an MRI on Friday to determine if it's worse than that.

In any case, he's back on the DL. And just in case you'd forgotten any of his previous trips, here's the complete (I think) list:

2000: Missed the entire season with a strained muscle in his right hand, suffered on a check swing in spring training.

2001: Technically, he wasn't on the big-league DL this year, staying healthy for all of 23 games after his Aug. 21 debut. But he was on the minor-league DL, with a strained left thumb.

2002: Went on the DL with a strained left wrist.

2003: On the DL with a broken bone in his right hand.

2004: On the DL twice, first with a strained lower back and then with a broken right cheekbone.

2005: On the DL with a right heel contusion.

2006: Avoided the DL! But he broke his right leg and needed surgery. It was in September, with no 25-man roster limit, so he wasn't put on the DL.

2007: Missed the entire season recovering from the broken leg. Had two more surgeries on the leg.

2008: Spent most of the year on the DL, with a right wrist injury.

2009: On the DL with a strained right hamstring.

2010: Spent most of the year on the DL, with a right wrist injury.

2011: Was in the minor leagues the entire year. Was on the DL twice.

2012: Placed on the DL Thursday with a sprained right wrist.