ATLANTA -- Bracing for the possibility of bad news after watching two-thirds of their starting outfield exit Thursday's game, the Cardinals learned that neither is likely to be sidelined long.
Stephen Piscotty landed on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain, with Tommy Pham recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Manager Mike Matheny said the team is optimistic Piscotty might not miss much more than about two weeks' time. William Fowler, on the other hand, avoided the DL altogether, and, after getting a clean MRI exam read during an exam in St. Louis, he rejoined the team in hopes of playing this weekend.
Fowler arrived at SunTrust Park about two hours before first pitch after staying back in St. Louis for further evaluation on Friday morning. Matheny said Fowler could be back in the lineup as early as Saturday, but that will depend on how his sore right shoulder responds to hitting and throwing.
"Looks like right now, it's going to be day-to-day," Matheny said. "I think more than anything else, it was getting the results back from the MRI that let them know there was no structural damage and what might have happened and what they feel the wait would be. All that was pointing in a positive direction, which, once again, wasn't what we were expecting."
The Cardinals considered having Fowler ready for a pinch-hit spot on Friday, but decided before the game began that a conservative approach would be a better one. As it turned out, Fowler wasn't needed in the team's 10-0 rout of the Braves.
Piscotty did not travel to Atlanta and will likely wait at least five days before resuming baseball activities. This is the first time in Piscotty's career that he has been placed on the DL.
"He was sore this morning," Matheny said. "We see those hamstrings linger if you don't get ahead of it."
Worth noting
• Jhonny Peralta (upper respiratory illness) went 0-for-2 with a groundout and strikeout to open a rehab assignment with Class A Advanced Palm Beach on Friday. Peralta, who batted third in the Palm Beach lineup, played five innings at third base before being removed. He is hopeful of rejoining the Cardinals in Miami during their three-game series there, which starts Monday.
• Though the Cardinals have an experienced leadoff hitter in Matt Carpenter, they left him in the No. 3 spot and moved Kolten Wong to the top of the order in Fowler's absence on Friday. Matheny preferred to leave Carpenter in more of a run-production spot and reward Wong, who entered the day with a nine-game hitting streak.