PHILADELPHIA — Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez went on the 15-day disabled list today with a strained left groin.

"It's been bothering him, I guess, a little bit off and on since the beginning of April," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "Really not that much of an issue for him until more recently. It probably started bothering him more during the course of the last long road trip."

John Mayberry Jr. was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Ibanez's roster spot. Ibanez is batting .312 with 22 homers and 59 RBIs, ranking second in the NL in homers and RBIs.

Ibanez was hobbling during Wednesday night's 7-1 loss to Toronto. He was expected to have an MRI later Thursday and it was uncertain whether he would be ready to return when he's eligible to come off the disabled list July 3.

"It may be longer," Amaro said. "But it's to the point where we needed to shut him down and get him healthy. We'll find out as he goes through his rehab and the things he needs to do to get it calmed down. We'll monitor it, and hopefully he'll heal properly and be ready in 15 days. That's the plan. That would be great, but I don't know if it's going to happen."

Ibanez missed his first game this season on Sunday because of a sore left Achilles' tendon. That issue was resolved by getting him a different pair of cleats with more support, and this injury is unrelated.

Ibanez wasn't available to reporters before the Phillies played the Blue Jays in their series finale. He had been hoping to avoid the DL and play through the injury.

"He's not pleased. I know he wants to play," Amaro said. "He's got a chance to really damage the groin if he continues to play on it. And if he does that, he could be out for a very, very long period of time, and that doesn't make sense to us."

Ibanez has been outstanding in his first season with the Phillies after signing a $31.5 million, three-year contract. He replaced Pat Burrell, who wasn't offered a contract after helping the Phillies won the World Series. Burrell was hitting .240 with one homer and 18 RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mayberry was 2 for 9 with a double, homer and three RBIs in his first stint with the Phillies last month. He was hitting .257 with eight homers and 31 RBIs for the IronPigs.