Pages Sidelined Sunday, Early Signs Point to Short Absence

Pages Sidelined Sunday, Early Signs Point to Short Absence
By Ray Mileur | Cardinal Chronicle

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The Pedro Pagés injury scare appears to be minor — and for the Cardinals, that’s welcome news.

Pagés was held out of Sunday’s lineup against the Seattle Mariners after leaving Saturday’s game with soreness in his left hamstring, creating brief concern about the health of one of St. Louis’ emerging young contributors behind the plate.

Fortunately for the Cardinals, early reports suggest the issue may be short-lived.

According to Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Pagés said medical imaging revealed no structural damage — a strong indication he may avoid an injured list stint and could be available as soon as Monday when St. Louis opens its road series in Pittsburgh against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

That’s an encouraging development for a Cardinals club entering a grueling stretch of 17 games in 17 days, where depth — especially behind the plate — will be tested.

With Pagés getting a precautionary day off Sunday, Iván Herrera gets the start at catcher, while Ramón Urías joins the lineup as manager Oliver Marmol mixes and matches to cover the absence.

The Cardinals can breathe easier for now. Hamstrings can be tricky — they whisper before they shout — but a clean scan is about as good a report as a club can hope for the morning after an in-game exit.

For the moment, this looks more like a bump in the road than a detour.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports