LOS ANGELES -- Alex Reyes will head to St. Louis to meet with team physicians on Thursday, as the right-hander’s pain in his right pectoral area will not subside, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said.

Reyes threw a bullpen session on Monday, but his arm didn’t respond well to it, prompting the visit to St. Louis. It’s yet another setback in another frustrating year for Reyes, who has been on Triple-A Memphis' injured list with a right pectoral strain since the end of June.

“That’s the frustration, just not able to take steps forward,” Shildt said. “I text Alex almost every day, and there’s a lot of frustration. I’m frustrated for him. Hasn’t been able to get the traction.”

Although the Cards had hoped their prized right-hander would be able to return to the bullpen by the end of this season, the lack of improvement from this injury is putting 2019 in doubt. Reyes previously missed all of ‘17 after having Tommy John surgery in February that year, and he missed last year after undergoing surgery on his right lat tendon in early June.

“Our calendar for him to reasonably expect for him to come contribute is definitely shrinking,” Shildt said. “I have confidence in Alex’s mental capacity to deal with things, but I don’t think there’s any question that it’s as frustrating emotionally as it physically.”

Helsley impresses in bullpen

In the past, three scoreless innings in relief might have earned Ryan Helsley a ticket back to Triple-A Memphis so the Cardinals could rotate a fresh arm into their bullpen.

But not this time.

After Helsley threw 60 pitches and kept the Dodgers at bay in the late innings of the Cardinals’ 8-0 loss on Monday, Helsley stayed in L.A. and the Cards called up rookie pitcher Junior Fernandez to add some innings to the bullpen.

Even though Helsley still needs a few more days to be available again, the decision to keep him was a nod to his versatility and the way he’s impressed the Cardinals whenever they call on him.

“Helsley filled that void,” Shildt said Wednesday. “The reality of it is, Helsley did a really nice job, and he’ll get through the next couple of days and be ready to go again. He’s earned the right to stay.”

The Cardinals have been prepping Helsley for a versatile role over the past few weeks. Helsley started two games in Memphis before joining St. Louis over the weekend to make sure he was built up for longer assignments in the Majors. In nine games in the Majors this year, he has a 2.35 ERA (15 1/3 innings). He’s walked 10, including four on Monday, so he’s still fine-tuning his efficiency. But the Cards like the deception on his fastball and his secondary pitches.

“I think that was kind of the plan, stretch me out a bit for times like this because you don’t always have games where you shove and have a good game,” Helsley said. “So I’m happy to do that if that’s my role for now.”

Shildt said he doesn’t consider Helsley just the long-inning guy and feels comfortable going with Helsley in any spot of the game.

“When he’s built up and we need a guy that can throw multiple innings, he can fill that role,” Shildt said. “But I don’t feel like he’s just a long guy at all. He’s got the stuff, the talent, and he did it early in the year when we didn’t need a long-inning guy, to be able to pitch at a valuable place in the game.”