Freese remains out, may sit Wednesday, too

ATLANTA -- Cardinals third baseman David Freese, who is nursing a sore right wrist, remained out of the lineup on Tuesday. There is a strong likelihood he won't start Wednesday's series finale either, as that would give him another pair of days, when coupled with Thursday's off-day, to improve.

Though Freese said his wrist was "a little better" than it was on Monday, he added that "it's still aggravating." As a result, Freese spent much of Tuesday afternoon in the trainer's room receiving treatment.

"It's kind of constant," Freese said of the tightness. "I'm just trying to get the inflammation out and get it moving along."

Freese did not take batting practice on Tuesday, though manager Mike Matheny did say his third baseman would be available off the bench.

There is no plan for Freese to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging scan on his hand. An X-ray taken a few days ago showed no structural damage. Freese sustained the injury on a diving play during the team's recent series against the Phillies.

"It's bothering him enough that it's not right," Matheny said. "I don't know if we could get ahead of it except by giving it the rest that it needs."