updated 4:47 p.m. ET June 20, 2007

ATLANTA - Boston Red Sox starter Curt Schilling is headed to the disabled list because of soreness in his right shoulder, though an exam found no major damage.

Schilling will be placed on the 15-day DL when the Red Sox get to San Diego on Friday for the start of a weekend series. He had returned to Boston for treatment after losing to the Braves 9-4, his first start without a strikeout since 1993.

The good news for Schilling: An MRI exam found no major problems. But the right-hander received a cortisone shot in his ailing shoulder, which he attributed to tendinitis, and the team knew he wouldn’t be able to make his next scheduled start on Sunday.

“Structurally, nothing’s changed on his MRI, which is really good,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said before Wednesday’s game against the Braves. “We’re going to try to sit on him pretty good because we want to get him back and give him a chance to be Schilling and be consistent.”

Schilling was to rejoin the Red Sox in San Diego after being re-examined in Boston by team physician Dr. Thomas Gill on Friday. Ten-game winner Josh Beckett will start in Schilling’s place against the Padres.

Schilling nearly pitched a no-hitter at Oakland on June 7, giving up a two-out single to Shannon Stewart in the ninth inning. But he allowed 11 earned runs and 19 hits in 9 1-3 innings in his next two starts.

“What seems to be happening at times is following up one of his good starts,” Francona said. “The consistency is not quite there.”

It was especially telling when Schilling failed to record a strikeout against the Braves. He ranks 14th on the career list with 3,086.

“I have not felt right this year,” Schilling said in a weekly radio interview. “Pain is a relative term. There’s been a lot of this year trying to discern what’s because I’m 40 or what’s because I don’t feel good.”

Francona decided to hold off making a roster move, which will be retroactive to Tuesday, until after the Red Sox completed their three-game against the Braves. Boston is off Thursday.

“There’s no reason to make a decision until we play the game and see how everybody comes out of it,” Francona said.

Schilling tore his labrum while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1995. He said when that happened, he went from throwing 95 mph in one inning to 80 mph in the next. He felt fine during that game but woke up in pain.

He said the recent problems were “eerily similar” in that he was throwing only 82 mph, but the difference this time was he did not wake up hurting.

“We’re going to tread lightly here,” he said.

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