ATLANTA -- The Cardinals will be without Bud Norris for at least the opening game of their series against the Braves as the veteran reliever gives a callus on his right middle finger additional time to heal.
Norris, who did not throw at all on Monday, is hopeful that the area will harden quickly enough to allow him to pitch later in the three-game series.
"It's pretty tender," Norris said. "I just have to monitor it the next couple days."
The ailment is not an unfamiliar one for Norris, who developed similar issues numerous times when he was a starting pitcher. This is the first time, however, that the skin around his nail has loosened this year. It was enough of a nuisance that manager Mike Shildt cut Norris' appearance short on Sunday.
Norris exited the Cardinals' 5-0 win after walking one batter and throwing one pitch to another.
"They were only asking me to get a couple outs, and obviously I wanted to be in that spot to help us out," Norris said. "It just kind of flared up on me, and that last sinker I threw, I lost feeling, and it was super tender. It was pretty bad."
With Norris sidelined, the Cardinals will be without one of their preferred relievers for matchups against left-handed batters. This could be a notable absence, too, given that Atlanta has a trio of left-handed batters -- Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte -- in the middle of their lineup.
Norris has held left-handed hitters to a .180/.262/.270 slash line this season.
Minor matters
• After winning the Pacific Coast League Championship on Saturday, Triple-A Memphis traveled to Columbus, Ohio, where it will play the Rays' affiliate in the Triple-A National Championship Game on Tuesday. The game, which is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT, will be televised on NBC Sports Network.
• Class A Peoria was defeated, three games to one, by Bowling Green in the Midwest League Finals. Peoria, which lost, 7-2, in Game 4 on Sunday, had advanced to the MWL finals for the fourth time since 1986.