First Pitch: Cardinals place Hudson (neck), Yepez (arm) on IL for All-Star break

Letting the Los Angeles Dodgers escape town with a series win after appearing to have them beaten in game two will leave a terrible taste in the Cardinals’ mouths. But the season marches on, and Oliver Marmol’s team must move on, too.

That began Friday with a series of roster moves, one of which was clearly related to getting an extended break for a pitcher.

Dakota Hudson was placed on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain that Marmol said the right-hander has been pitching through. Hudson was going to go at least seven days without make a start due to the All-Star break, and the IL stay targets him for a start in Washington at the end of the month. He’ll miss one start if he comes back to the active roster as advertised.

Juan Yepez felt his forearm stiffen as he threw a runner out at home Thursday night, and the discomfort did not relent by Friday. He was unable to swing a bat late in Thursday’s game, prompting what would have been a pinch-hitter had Yepez come to the plate. Yepez was undergoing further exams of the forearm to determine the cause of the pain and the severity of any injury. He was placed on the 10-day injured list.

The Cardinals recalled lefty Zack Thompson and outfielder Lars Nootbaar to replace the two injured players on the active roster.

Getting the Cincinnati Reds in their final series before the week-long All-Star break appears to be the perfect medicine for the frustrated red birds. However, the once-struggling Reds are now surging, winners of seven of their last ten including a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Cardinals will see the Reds in six straight games, playing three at Busch Stadium pre-All-Star break before going to Great American Ball Park for a three-game set after the break. 

In a battle of the rookies, Andre Pallante and Reds prospect Hunter Greene will face off on the mound in game one. 

Lineups will be posted when made available 

CARDINALS

1. Tommy Edman, SS

2. Dylan Carlson, CF

3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

4. Nolan Arenado, 3B

5. Brendan Donovan, 2B

6. Tyler O’Neill, LF

7. Nolan Gorman, DH

8. Corey Dickerson, RF

9. Austin Romine, C

P: Andre Pallante, RHP

REDS

1. Jonathan India, 2B

2. Brandon Drury, 1B

3. Tommy Pham, LF

4. Joey Votto, DH

5. Kyle Farmer, SS

6. Donovan Solano, 3B

7. Tyler Naquin, RF

8. Nick Senzel, CF

9. Michael Papierski, C

P: Hunter Greene, RHP

Pitching Matchup

RHP Andre Pallante (2-4, 3.18): Starting at home for the fourth time this season, Pallante has been significantly better when pitching in Busch Stadium compared to the hostile environments of road games. With a 2.88 ERA and a 2:1 strikeout-to-walk rate at home, the Cardinals rookie gives his club a chance to win every time out.

RHP Hunter Greene (3-10, 5.70): The fireballer rookie star has had a series of peaks and valleys in his freshman campaign. He’s allowed six or more runs in two of his last starts, but he still possesses an electric fastball and the capability to shut down bats on the right day. 

Wild Cards

• The Cardinals turned three double plays in Thursday’s loss to the LA Dodgers, extending their MLB-leading total to 103. On pace for 200 turned double plays, the Cardinals would only be the 11th team to accomplish the feat.

• Shut out for the 11th time in Thursday’s loss to Los Angeles, the Cardinals have been shut out the second most times in the MLB this season, trailing only the 37-53 Detroit Tigers, who have been blanked 12 times.

Three Up

1. Not wild about Wild Card: Arenado says test vs. top teams underscores Cardinals ‘needs’

2. Cardinals notebook: Breaching relievers’ trust is ‘mismanaging bullpen,’ says Oliver Marmol

3. Quick hits: Cardinals cannot catch up to Dodgers, shut out for 11th time this season

Three Down

1. Best Podcast in Baseball: Do Cardinals brass have moxie to make midseason moves to be great?

2. BenFred: Cardinals need a little more from Ryan Helsley, along with one big save from front office

3. Ten Hochman: Walk-off All-Star Game HR? Cardinals’ Stan Musial did so this day in 1955

Injury Updates

• C Yadier Molina (right-knee inflammation) has mapped out a return to playing in St. Louis that would see him returning in early August. Molina had been prescribed rest to help manage the swelling in his knee and has been rehabbing in Puerto Rico since Flag Day. (Updated July 13)

• OF Harrison Bader will intensify his activities Friday at Busch Stadium, testing the recovery of his foot after more than a week of rest and several half days in a boot to aid healing. Bader says he does not expect to return to the lineup until after the All-Star break. He was been placed on the 10-day IL with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. (Updated July 15)

• LHP Steven Matz (shoulder) is set to start Sunday in the Cardinals’ final game before the break. The lefty threw 4? innings Tuesday night for the AAA Memphis Redbirds, marking his third rehab appearance.  

• RHP Jack Flaherty (shoulder) has been moved to the 60-Day IL meaning he would not be available until late August, at the earliest. While initially Flaherty’s return timeline was considered ‘fluid’, and it remains so. The transactions gives a structure to a spring training-like return for the right-hander and a rehab assignment that could take a month, if necessary. (Updated July 12)

Up Next

The Cardinals close out the first half of the season hosting the Cincinnati Reds. They will get a much-needed break while All-Star festivities take place in Los Angeles. The Cardinals will then embark on a road trip that will have them not return to Busch Stadium until August.

Check back here throughout the evening for immediate coverage of the game and any news that surfaces from the Cardinals’ pre-game activities. We will publish expanded game coverage online Friday night, and also in the pages of Saturday’s Post-Dispatch.

Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt sits in the dugout after flying out in the ninth inning and having a one-hit day as the Dodgers beat the Cardinals 4-0 on Thursday, July 14, 2022, at Busch Stadium.

Carter Chapley

@ChapleyMedia on Twitter

CChapley@post-dispatch.com