It was sudden and the St. Louis Cardinals dealt with it swiftly.
But the 20 hours or so between the disclosure by manager Mike Matheny after Saturday’s game that Yadier Molina had just left Busch Stadium to get his right knee examined via MRI and the news Sunday that the five-time Gold-Glove-winning catcher had not suffered a major injury may have seemed like a week for the Cardinals faithful.
Matheny and Molina told reporters before the Redbirds’ Sunday series finale against the Miami Marlins that team doctors determined that the discomfort the catcher had been feeling was a result of an inflammation. Molina said the knee had been hurting about a month, but that he became concerned when it bothered him as he ran during Friday night’s series opener against Miami.
Team officials said they believe that a few days of rest will relieve some of the inflammation.
Molina was voted the National League’s starting catcher for the 2013 All-Star Game set for July 16 and hosted by the Mets at Citi Field in New York. The selection, and the fact that Molina received the most votes of any National League player, was announced by Major League Baseball on the “All-Star Selection Show” on the Fox television network late Saturday afternoon.
Cardinals backup catcher Tony Cruz started Saturday and Sunday, the first time in the 2013 season that he has made consecutive starts. First baseman-third baseman Ty Wigginton, who primarily serves as a pinch-hitter, is considered the Cardinals’ “emergency catcher” if Cruz needs a backup during Molina’s time on the bench. Wigginton last caught as a collegiate player at UNC-Ashville.