Adams placed on DL with quad strain
First baseman injured on 5th-inning double; Reynolds to step up
ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals manager Mike Matheny took little time to celebrate Tuesday's 6-4 win over the D-backs, and instead quickly turned his attention to how the club will weather at least a short-term absence by first baseman Matt Adams.
The Cardinals placed Adams on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday after he strained his right quad in the fifth inning while running out a double Tuesday. Catcher Ed Easley has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis.
After the game, Matheny acknowledged that he has a "high level of concern" regarding the severity of the injury and the time it could cost Adams.
Adams pulled up just after rounding first base and hobbled to second for a one-out double while grabbing at the quad. Assistant athletic trainer Chris Conroy met Adams there and, after a brief consultation, ushered him back to the dugout.
"I felt fine until I got to the base, and it just tightened up as I rounded the base," said Adams, who was still walking gingerly postgame. "It's sore. It doesn't feel great. We'll readdress it [Wednesday]."
Mark Reynolds took Adams' spot as a pinch-runner and remained in the game to play first base. He'll become Adams' everyday replacement at the position, too. Until this season, Reynolds has been an everyday player for the most of his nine-year Major League career.
"Mark Reynolds is our guy," Matheny said. "Let's get him out there and let him play. He's certainly played well enough to deserve to be in there."
Reynolds, who has started at four different defensive positions for the Cardinals, is most comfortable at first base. He is hitting .250/.314/.406 with three homers and 12 RBIs this season.
Adams had not gotten off to his desired start, though he does rank fifth on the club with 20 RBIs. He has batted cleanup more than anyone on the club. Look for Jhonny Peralta to become a regular in the four-hole moving forward.
In finding a roster replacement for Adams, the Cardinals were weighing two possibilities on Tuesday evening. One was to cut short Jon Jay's Minor League rehab assignment and have him rejoin the club Wednesday. Jay, who was expected to play at least two games for Class A Peoria, went 0-for-4 in his debut Tuesday. The Cardinals also could summon a position player from Triple-A Memphis. That would likely be Xavier Scruggs, the only other first baseman already on the 40-man roster.