By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | August 1, 2016, 7:07 pm CT
Updated at 9:07 pm CT with additional information:
Just as the Cardinals appeared to be getting health back on their side, injury has struck again.
On the eve of activating Jhonny Peralta (thumb ligament strain) and Brandon Moss (ankle sprain) prior to the team’s series opener in Cincinnati, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak announced that rookie shortstop Aledmys Diaz was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right thumb and will be placed on the disabled list.
Diaz, who sustained the injury when he was hit by a 95-mph fastball from Marlins starter Andrew Cashner on Sunday, will “likely miss more time” than the minimum 15 days on the DL, the GM said, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The 26-year-old met with a specialist in Miami on Monday, and scans taken revealed the fracture, Goold reports.
“I think what we’ll do is put him on [the DL] and then just re-evaluate him as we go,” Mozeliak told MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. “He’s been put in a splint today, and once the swelling goes down, he’ll be put in a cast. At some point, we’ll re-evaluate. Obviously, we’re hopeful that it will be shorter rather than longer.”
With Diaz expected to be sidelined for at least a few weeks, Jhonny Peralta, who was slated to be the club’s starting shortstop headed into the season (before suffering a thumb injury), is expected to man the position upon his activation Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Matt Carpenter (oblique strain) will play both second and third base this week during his rehab assignment with AA Springfield, and is expected to spend time at both positions when he returns to the big-league club. Mozeliak said that could occur as soon as Friday at Busch Stadium.
While the club has solid depth in the infield, replacing Diaz’s production will be no easy task, as the All-Star shortstop (who’s been the team’s No. 2 hitter since mid-May) leads the Cardinals in multi-hit games (32) and has hit .312/.376/.518 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs this season.
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