Shoulder on mend, Martinez set for rehab stint

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals outfielder José Martínez (right AC joint sprain) is set to begin his rehab assignment Monday with Double-A Springfield.

Springfield begins a four-game series against Double-A Frisco (Rangers), so Martinez will be the designated hitter Monday as he gets back into game action, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said.

There is no set return date for Martinez, but it likely won’t be until Sept. 1 or later, when the Cardinals can expand their roster. Martinez is being cautious with throwing, so he doesn’t inflame his shoulder, which he injured colliding with the right-field wall Aug. 11 against the Pirates.

“This shoulder stuff is kind of dangerous; you have to be careful with it,” Martinez said Thursday after playing catch. “You can’t just go out there and throw 10-12 baseballs and get back in the game. Going out there and trying to be a hero is not good.”

Wong out of lineup, hopes not for long

After fouling a ball off of his right big toe Saturday and exiting the Cardinals’ 6-0 win over the Rockies, Kolten Wong arrived at the clubhouse Sunday morning on a mobility scooter to avoid putting pressure on his foot.

But, after imaging revealed there was no fracture, Wong and the Cardinals are hopeful the injury will take only a couple of days to subside. His toe was wrapped Sunday and he was still dealing with bleeding, but he said he felt better than he did Saturday night. Sunday’s forecast called for taking it easy.

“Do a little rehab,” Wong said. “Tomorrow, we’ll see where we stand and go from there. Last night was a tough night, but it was all right.

“I’ve taken hundreds of foul balls off my toes but never felt that kind of pain. It was one of those where I was glad I was able to find out no fracture, and now it’s all about healing it.”

Shildt said the Cardinals are looking to avoid putting Wong on the injured list, and he said if Wong stays active, he will likely travel with the team to Milwaukee for their three-game series starting Monday.

“We want to give him an opportunity to heal and get him back as soon as possible, if he’s capable,” Shildt said. “We’ll weigh what that looks like here and get a better idea today.”

Wong was in better spirits Sunday, too. He’s enjoying riding the scooter around while his toe heals, although he hopes he can get rid of it soon.

“It’s helping me get around without looking like I’m in that much pain,” Wong said. “It’s kind of fun using it. Kind of came around that little slope over there a little hot, though. Kind of scared me, so I have to take it easy.”

Minor League report

• Triple-A Memphis left-hander Genesis Cabrera pitched an historic night Saturday for the Redbirds. The Cardinals’ No. 9 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, tied a Pacific Coast League record with nine consecutive strikeouts against Omaha from the middle of the third inning through the start of the sixth inning. He shut down the Storm Chasers (Royals) with one hit and 12 strikeouts in seven innings.

That PCL record he tied was set last year by another Cardinals prospect, Alex Reyes. Before Reyes did it on May 24, 2018, the record for consecutive strikeouts by a pitcher was eight, by Vean Gregg in 1910.

• Austin Gomber, who is on the Memphis injured list with a left biceps injury, threw one-third of an inning for Class A Advanced Palm Beach in his rehab Friday night. He gave up three runs on two hits and two walks, but Shildt said Gomber recovered and played catch well. The left-hander’s next step is still under evaluation.

“He got through it,” Shildt said. “Felt good, recovered and played catch. It seemed like he was healthy. The same expectation and same result that we would expect from a guy that hasn’t thrown in almost four months.”