"Inflammation in Randy Johnson's left shoulder will keep him from making his scheduled start Sunday at Dodger Stadium, but Johnson and the Diamondbacks expect him to rejoin the rotation in time to make his next start.

Rookie right-hander Max Scherzer will start in his place.

"I felt like this might be the opportunity to get a little bit of a breather for my shoulder," Johnson said, "and then get it ready to finish the last four games that I have and then postseason."

Johnson said he first felt stiffness in the shoulder in his start last week against St. Louis and pitched through it. The results were not good. He gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings.

He said he played catch Saturday and felt better than he did the day before, although manager Bob Melvin did not think starting him was worth the risk.

"We don't want anything to linger," Melvin said. "If there is a little issue there and he is having to overcompensate with some other areas, it's something we want to stay away from.

"It's not something, I don't think, that's a long-term thing, but something we want to be proactive with."

The club is planning for Johnson's next start to be Saturday vs. Cincinnati.

Set to start

Scherzer was made aware of Johnson's physical condition last week, so getting final word that he was going to start wasn't a surprise.

Though he has been a reliever since being recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 29, he said it will be an easy adjustment back to starting, which he had been doing for Tucson.

"I've been a starter the past couple of months in the minors, so my routine is more as a starter," he said. "For me it's more of a comfort thing right now. I can go back right to my routine."

Scherzer threw 94 pitches in his most recent start Aug. 24, but he wasn't sure how many pitches he would have at his disposal Sunday.

"It going to be how my arm holds up," he said. "I might be able to go out there and throw 100 because my arm feels good, or I might go out there and be done after 50 because my arm feels gassed. I imagine it's going to be a feel thing.""