DENVER -- Larry Walker barely had time to dry himself off when he received the all-too-familiar news: He was returning to the disabled list and could possibly miss the remainder of the season.

	Walker

The Colorado Rockies placed the two-time defending NL batting champion on the 15-day DL on Monday, hoping the time off will help Walker's chronically ailing right elbow.

Walker was in the hot tub before Colorado's game against the Atlanta Braves when he was summoned by manager Buddy Bell. He did not take the news well.

"I came to the ballpark with my game face on, ready to play, and now I'm on the DL," Walker said. "I've gone from one extreme to the complete opposite. I'm still dumbfounded by it."

Walker was hitting .309 with nine homers and 51 RBI in 88 games. He also was second in the NL with 11 outfield assists.

To take Walker's place on the 25-man roster, the Rockies recalled utility player Adam Melhuse from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

The trip to the disabled list was the second for Walker this season and the sixth since 1996. He has played in more than 140 games just twice in 11 full seasons.

"I'm quite aware of the reputation that follows me as far as getting hurt," Walker said. "If I could shake it and never get hurt, I'd do anything for it. Unfortunately, I'm not Cal Ripken. I'm more like Jose Canseco, I guess."

Walker went on the disabled list in May after team doctors diagnosed the onset of a stress fracture in his elbow.

He was cleared to play four weeks later, but his productivity has dropped off from recent years.

"I'm not playing up to my capability. I know that," he said. "I'm aware of the season I'm having. You don't have to tell me. You don't have to write it down all the time. It's been real frustrating for me trying to find out what's wrong and how to get better."

Walker, in the first year of a six-year, $75 million contract, said the pain in his elbow has neither increased nor diminished. Despite his desire to play through his struggles, Bell said he did not want Walker to risk further damage to his elbow.

"I'd like to see him go into the winter with no health issues," Bell said. "It seems like he's got to rehab something every winter. It would be nice if he could go in and take care of normal stuff and get ready for spring training."

Bell and Rockies officials began pondering the DL several weeks ago, and serious consideration began when Walker went 1-for-5 against Florida last Friday.

Walker was ordered not to throw or hit for 10 days, and he will remain in Denver when the Rockies leave town Thursday for a six-game road trip.

It is possible Walker could be done for the season, but he was not eager to consider that option while sitting in the Rockies clubhouse with the USA Today crossword puzzle in his lap.

"I didn't ask for this," he said. "I didn't complain. I didn't give anybody any reason except for my bad swing. I guess maybe they saw something. I don't know. When my time's up, I'll come back and we'll see where we're at."