Cards will face Brewers without DeRosa
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
07/07/09 1:22 PM ET
CINCINNATI -- The Cardinals acquired Mark DeRosa for series like the one that begins Tuesday. Unfortunately for them, he won't be able to play in it.
DeRosa was placed on the disabled list Tuesday -- retroactive to July 1 -- because of a strained left wrist, which he sustained in his third game after he was acquired from Cleveland and had kept him out of the starting lineup for nearly a week.
The Cardinals had been hoping for Tuesday as a day for DeRosa's return. On Monday's off-day, DeRosa went to St. Louis to get the injury looked at and see how to progress. Apparently the news wasn't good enough.
"I'm going to fly back to St. Louis [on Monday] and have an MRI, just to kind of figure out what is the problem," DeRosa said on Sunday. "But I hit today, and as I continued to hit, it progressively got better, not worse, which is a good thing."
DeRosa took swings off of a tee on Saturday, and on Sunday he progressed to taking soft-toss. He has yet to take full batting practice, either in the batting cage or on the field.
"The wrist will tell you when he's ready to play, not a schedule," manager Tony La Russa said. "Mother Nature, if you've got a line to her, she'd be the one to call. Because if he's not ready Tuesday, we're not going to play him until he's ready -- whenever that is. We need him back, and to stay back."
The further absence of DeRosa hampers the St. Louis lineup, which continues to struggle at times to score runs. DeRosa would have slotted in at third base, moving Joe Thurston back to a utility role for which he is better suited.
The Brewers open the series with ace Yovani Gallardo, who pitched a spectacular game against St. Louis in May. Gallardo has not allowed more than three runs in any start since May 20.
Just our luck to trade for someone destined to spend time on the dl. I can't see us winning the series against the Brewers or Cubs, these 2teams always seem to have our number.
