DETROIT -- The Cardinals are holding out hope that Michael Wacha will be able to return yet this season, but the immediate future for the right-hander is unclear after he was scratched from his rehab start with left oblique discomfort Friday night for Triple-A Memphis.
"He slept on it, woke up, didn't feel right," St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said Saturday before the Cardinals' game against the Tigers. "To his credit, we've encouraged him, and he's taken the advice of, 'If it doesn't feel good, don't push this thing.' Clearly it's a setback that we'll evaluate."
It was likely Wacha's last chance to make a rehab start, with Memphis playing in the Triple-A playoffs, leading Shildt to say definitively that Wacha would go to the bullpen if he's healthy enough to return. For the time being, though, it's far from a guarantee.
"I don't know when or if [his return] will be," Shildt said.
The big picture for St. Louis now includes even more stress on a young pitching staff that's trying to get the Cardinals into the postseason. Veteran Adam Wainwright will return to the mound Monday, after which St. Louis will attempt to get the rest of its young starters an extra day of rest. Wacha, whose 3.20 ERA would tie his lowest mark as a full-time starter, would become a valuable part of a bullpen that is sure to be taxed in the process.
Gyorko sent back to St. Louis
A day after it seemed likely that Jedd Gyorko would be activated off the disabled list, Shildt said the third baseman has been sent back to St. Louis for treatment on his left groin.
"We feel like he can get a little better treatment back there," Shildt said.
On Friday, Shildt said he expected Gyorko to be ready possibly early next week. Shildt characterized this as a "small" setback and said Gyorko will be evaluated again Monday. Gyorko has been on the 10-day DL since Aug. 29.