Yadier Molina exits with left knee contusion after getting hit by foul ball

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina made an early exit from Saturday’s game due to a left knee contusion.  Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer sent a foul tip off of Molina’s kneecap in the top of the fourth inning, but Molina remained in the game after taking a few moments to walk the pain off.  Andrew Knizner then pinch-hit for Molina in the bottom half of the inning.

It remains to be seen if Molina’s contusion is a day-to-day situation (and an injury not uncommon for a catcher), or if it’s an injury that requires more time off or a placement on the injured list. Molina already missed 11 games this season on the 10-day IL due to a tendon strain in his right foot.

Molina is hitting .277/.314/.493 over 159 plate appearances, with much of that damage coming prior to his IL visit.  He hit a scorching .323/.366/.631 over his first 71 PA, and the veteran backstop has perhaps unsurprisingly cooled off after that big start.