Garcia placed on disabled list with strained left groin

It’s another trip to the disabled list for Jaime Garcia.

The St. Louis Cardinals left-hander, who was expected to pitch one of the games Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, instead was placed on the DL on Sunday with a strained left groin. The move is retroactive to Saturday, meaning Garcia won’t be eligible to return to action July 19.

Left-hander Tim Cooney was recalled from low-Class A Peoria, where he was sent before the game Friday to throw his bullpen. Cooney never was going to pitch for the Chiefs.

“It took a turn on us,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of the team’s plans to start Garcia. “It looks like we’re going to have to put Jaime on the DL, and that will make for a young left-handed duo on Tuesday with (Tyler) Lyons and with Cooney.”

Garcia threw a bullpen Saturday morning to test the groin, which seemed to be gradually recovering.

“It just didn’t feel right. It started out OK, but I knew something wasn’t feeling right,” said Garcia, who underwent an MRI on Sunday morning. “I knew it was a groin strain; they called it a Grade II groin strain.”

Garcia didn’t want to guess when he might be able to return.

“I’m not a trainer or a doctor,” Garcia said. “I’m hoping I’ll be ready to go as soon as the All-Star break is over if I get the right treatment. I’ve gone through a lot of stuff. Giving up is not an option for me. You know I’m going to be back in a little bit of time and be better than I was.”

Matheny arrived at the stadium Sunday morning believing Garcia was a likely starter Tuesday.

“It sounds like things went pretty well in the pen and he looked good, but he said he didn’t feel right, so we had it looked at,” Matheny said. “You’re always subject to something going backwards. This is one of those times.”

Garcia (3-3, 1.69 ERA) hasn’t pitched since June 24 in Miami, when he suffered the injury scoring from second. He joined six teammates on the disabled list: Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday, Jordan Walden, Matt Belisle, Matt Adams and Jon Jay.

Matheny said Lyons or Cooney also could pitch the final game of the first half next Sunday in Pittsburgh. With treatment and rest, it is expected Garcia can return soon after the All-Star break.

“We hope so,” Matheny said. “That’s what he’s hopeful for and obviously we are, too. Rest is a part of (the strategy), but also with a game plan that’s put together. We’ll see what the training staff comes up with.”

Garcia, who turns 29 on Wednesday, has been on the disabled list eight times in his career. He missed most of last season recovering from thoracic outlet surgery. Since the start of the 2013 season, Garcia has logged just 147 innings.

“Injuries happen in this game,” was all Matheny said.

Garcia is signed through this season. The Cardinals have 2016 and 2017 options on Garcia they are not expected to exercise, given his tattered medical background.

This story was originally published July 5, 2015 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Garcia placed on disabled list with strained left groin."