Cardinals place Corey Dickerson on 10-day IL due to calf strain

The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Corey Dickerson on the 10-day injured list due to a left calf strain. 

Right-hander Jake Walsh was called up from Triple-A to take the open spot on the active roster. In another move, Jake Woodford was also optioned back to Triple-A after serving as the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs.

Dickerson left the first game of that doubleheader in the second inning, so it isn’t surprising that he’ll now head to the IL. The injury adds to what has been a rough season for Dickerson, as he has hit only .194/.245/.286 over 106 plate appearances since signing a one-year, $5M contract in March. Dickerson’s injury comes just a day after his best performance in a St. Louis uniform, as he hit his first two home runs of the season in Friday’s 14-5 win over the Cubs.

Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson aren’t expected back from their own IL stints until next weekend at the earliest, so Dickerson’s absence will leave the Cardinals further shorthanded in the outfield. However, Brendan Donovan’s emergence as a multi-position option has lessened the hit, and the Cardinals also have Lars Nootbaar to fill Dickerson’s role as a left-handed complement within a largely right-handed lineup. Tommy Edman could also factor into the outfield picture when not playing shortstop, and Albert Pujols could get more DH at-bats against right-handed pitching while Dickerson is out.