Chicago ? The Cubs placed right-hander Mark Prior on the 15-day disabled list Saturday, one day after he was hit in the right elbow by a line drive.

An MRI showed a compression fracture near the elbow, trainer Mark O’Neal said.

Prior, O’Neal and Cubs manager Dusty Baker would not speculate how long Prior would be out.

“It could have been a lot worse, it could have been my career,” Prior said. “Everyone knows the risks going out there and playing.

“It’s a game that’s supposed to be fun, but there are some inherent risks that go with it,” he added. “I’ll be back. I’ve been hit before and it’s no big deal.”

This is Prior’s fifth trip to the disabled list since he made his debut in 2002, and second this year. He began this season on the DL because of inflammation in the elbow, delaying his first start until April 13. In nine starts this year, he is 4-1 with a 2.93 earned-run average.

Prior’s injury is another blow for Chicago’s already depleted rotation. Kerry Wood has been on the disabled list since May 1 because of a shoulder injury.

The Cubs recalled right-hander Roberto Novoa from Iowa of the Pacific Coast League to take Prior’s roster spot. Novoa was 1-1 with Iowa with three saves and a 2.78 ERA. In an earlier recall to the Cubs from April 27 to May 9, he was 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in five games.

They also obtained pitchers Jerome Williams and David Aardsma from San Francisco for reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who had been demoted after starting the season as Chicago’s closer.

Williams, 23, was San Francisco’s youngest 10-game winner since 1975 last year but had been sent to the minors after a slow start this season.

Chicago general manager Hendry said both new pitchers would start in the minor leagues.

When asked if the trade had anything to with Prior’s injury Hendry replied: “If we could have made this deal a week or two ago, we would have.”

Chicago pitcher Mark Prior arrives at Wrigley Field with his arm in a sling. The right-handed pitcher was put on the 15-day disabled list Saturday because of a fracture to his elbow after being hit Friday by a line drive off the bat of Colorado's Brad Hawpe.

The Cubs signed Hawkins as a free agent before the 2004 season, hoping he could help shore up a shaky bullpen. He had set a major-league record when he converted his first 23 save chances with the Minnesota Twins in 2000 and 2001. Though he lost his job to Eddie Guardado the next year, he became one of the best setup men in the majors, going 9-3 with a 1.86 ERA in 2003.

But Hawkins struggled in Chicago, and became the favorite target of unhappy fans. He blew nine save chances last year, when he took over as closer following an injury to Joe Borowski.

The Cubs hoped to use him as a setup man this year, but he was forced into the closer’s role again after Borowski got hurt in spring training. Hawkins blew three of seven save chances before Baker replaced him with Ryan Dempster on May 9. He’s 1-4 with a 3.32 ERA this year.

In 98 games with the Cubs, Hawkins was 6-8 with a 2.76 ERA.

“We’ve been getting a number of calls about LaTroy lately, and in the best interest of LaTroy and his career, I think it’s a good situation for him,” Hendry said. “LaTroy’s a good guy.”

O’Neal said Prior’s fracture was inside the bone and not on the surface.

“The outer layer of the bone was not compromised,” O’ Neal said. “That would be a linear fracture, which he does not have. He has a compression, basically the inside of the bone is compressed.

“We feel very fortunate that this is the fracture he has. It’s not something where we know we have to shut him down for four to six weeks.”

But O’Neal would not predict Prior’s rehab schedule.

“This is basically on Mark’s timeframe,” O’Neal said. “When he has a full, pain-free range of motion and no edema, we’ll progress from there. There’s no way I can give you a time frame for this.

Prior said he wasn’t worried about a long-term problem.

“I love to listen to everyone dwell on the fact how many times I’ve been on the DL,” Prior said. “But I’ve only really been on the DL once for a throwing related problem. This is just something freakish that happened and I have no control over.