By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | July 31, 2016, 12:50 pm CT
Last updated at 1:41 pm CT with new information:
The Cardinals and their fans are collectively holding their breath as they await confirmation on the status of rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who was removed from Sunday’s game against the Marlins after being hit by an Andrew Cashner fastball on his right hand in the top of the first inning.
The club later announced that Diaz, who initially stayed in the game to run the bases before exiting prior to the bottom of the inning, was diagnosed with a hand contusion, but that he’ll undergo further testing on Monday to determine the full severity of the injury.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals expect Diaz to miss at least a few days.
Upon Diaz’s exit Sunday, Greg Garcia shifted from second base to shortstop, with Tommy Pham entering the game in center field amid defensive shuffling.
It’s worth noting that infielder Jhonny Peralta, who’s expected to be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday after dealing with a ligament strain in his right thumb, was playing in a rehab game at High A Palm Beach, and switched from third base to shortstop shortly after Diaz’s injury, per Goold.
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