Cardinals Place Kolten Wong on Disabled List

According to Fox Sports Midwest’s Jim Hayes, the St. Louis Cardinals are placing second baseman Kolten Wong on the disabled list with a shoulder injury and recalling outfielder Shane Robinson from Triple-A Memphis.

Wong’s been slumping during the month of June and is down to a .228 average, but his loss will still be rather significant for the Cards. His replacement will be veteran Mark Ellis, who has struggled all season and is at a .184 mark for the year. At this point in their respective careers, Wong is a better fielder than Ellis, so that will be another downgrade for the Redbirds.

Robinson, whose return has been anticipated since the Cardinals sent down young outfielders  Randal Grichuk and Oscar Taveras last week, will provide extra depth in the outfield and a righthanded-hitting presence off the bench. It should be interesting to see if the Cardinals soon recall an additional position player and go back to their traditional arrangement of 13 position players and 12 pitchers, or if they stick with the 13-pitcher setup they are currently employing. With Joe Kelly and Kevin Siegrist coming closer to their respective returns, it may be a tough call considering the quality performance of fringe bullpen guys such as Nick Greenwood, Carlos Martinez, and Sam Freeman.