ST. LOUIS -- Matt Adams exited Thursday's 4-0 win over the Phillies after four innings due to a left leg contusion that he suffered after getting tangled up with a baserunner as he took a throw to end the first inning.
Manager Mike Matheny said the Cardinals don't expect Adams to miss much more time, if any, but rather made the move as a precautionary measure. Adams felt his left quad tighten up in the innings that followed the collision. The Cards didn't want to risk further injury to Adams, who missed three months last season with a strain in his right quad.
"I would imagine we could have kept pushing him, but a lot of times that ends up being one of those situations that he starts to favor it and then could potentially bother something else," Matheny said. "With a history of leg issues, it just doesn't make much sense to keep him out there."
Adams' early departure led to a shuffling of defensive assignments. Brandon Moss moved in from left field to take over at first, and Jeremy Hazelbaker shifted from center to left. Randal Grichuk, initially given the day off against Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, entered to play center and take Adams' spot as the cleanup hitter.
Adams took two at-bats before leaving. He foiled the shift with a single to left in the first inning and then grounded out in the fourth. He is 8-for-19 this homestand with a pair of home runs.