Stiff neck costs Piscotty his first Busch Stadium start; Garcia effective in rehab start

Rookie Stephen Piscotty on Wednesday night already was thinking about his first career game at Busch Stadium.

But the anticipation ended Thursday when he was scratched from the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup because of a stiff neck. Piscotty, who was to play first base and bat eighth, was replaced by Dan Johnson. Manager Mike Matheny said Piscotty might be available off the bench.

“It’s such a special thing here at Busch, and I can’t wait for that moment,” said Piscotty, who was 2-for-8 with a double in two games against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday and Wednesday. “(But) I’ve got a little stiff neck. I woke up and was really pretty bummed. I’m having a tough time just turning my head to the left right now. I’m working with the trainers and I’m going to get on that and work on it the best I can.

“Talk about unfortunate. Hopefully, it heals fast. It’s just too bad.”

Matheny agreed.

“Something tightened up and limited his ability to swing the bat, so we had to scratch him,” Matheny said of a move he didn’t enjoying making. “Hopefully, he’ll keep getting some treatment to where it will loosen up and give way to where he can get a good swing on it.”

Matheny said Johnson got the nod to take advantage of his left-handed bat against 6-foot-10 Kansas City right-hander Chris Young, who had allowed a .260 average and a .477 slugging percentage against lefty swingers.

“Left-handers have had some success against Young,” Matheny said. “We’ll just give Dan the chance. He also hasn’t had very many at-bats. We can’t expect him to come in very sharp if he’s not getting them. Today is a good day for him.”

Garcia throws

Oft-injured left-hander Jaime Garcia, sidelined since July 4 by a strained left groin, on Thursday threw five shutout innings for low-Class A Peoria against Clinton. Garcia walked none and struck out six, and 41 of his 58 pitches were strikes. He hit a batter.

The Cardinals will evaluate Garcia “start by start,” according to Matheny.

“He’s already going to be up at 45, 50 pitches probably right out of the gate,” Matheny said. “That’ll push him to a point where he could be at 70-some for the next. We’ll just have to see where we are and how everybody else is performing, how the health of everybody is.”

Steven Sabatino and Cody Schumacher combined to throw the final four innings. Like Garcia, they did not allow a hit and Peoria won 2-0.

Bullish on Royals

Matheny said the talented Royals have everything they need make another run at the World Series. Last year, Kansas City lost to the San Francisco Giants.

“I think they’ve got a little mix of everything,” Matheny said of the Royals. “Strong starting (pitching). A very solid bullpen; they’ve got some real good arms coming out of the pen. Speed. Athleticism. Power. Good defense. What part wouldn’t you like?

“And I think you couple all that with just the excitement of last year that they’ve been able to carry on this season. The fans have given them great support, and rightfully so. They’re playing a good brand of baseball.”

Gonzales passes test

Lefty Marco Gonzales threw 3 2/3 shutout innings and struck out four Tuesday in a rehab start for Class AA Springfield against Arkansas. Gonzales, recovering from a shoulder impingement, allowed four hits.

“He’s throwing real well. Everything’s there,” Matheny said. “He’s got great fastball command. Even the cutter is coming around and he’s using it right. Everything we’re hearing is positive, so it’s just another step for him in the right direction.”

Matheny said Gonzales’ next start probably will be for Class AAA Memphis. After that, he could be an option for the major-league rotation. Garcia and Tim Cooney, another left-hander, also might figure in the plans.

Trade winds

St. Louis could be in the market for a reliever, given that the back end of their bullpen has been overextended in recent weeks.

But Jordan Walden, out since April 30, might be back in action soon, which would be like adding a trade piece. Walden was slated to begin a rehab stint Thursday with Springfield.

“He’s going to probably need a day off (after pitching), then we’ll start talking about multiple innings, then we’ll talk about back-to-back days,” Matheny said. “We’ll check off those boxes before we’re able to get him back here.

“He’s a guy who’s had some success in the eighth inning and ninth inning. Those guys are rare, so to have Jordan back would be a good shot in the arm. But until then, we have some other players. We’ll piece it together. We’ll find guys that will have to figure it out. That’s just part of being a young player.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Stiff neck costs Piscotty his first Busch Stadium start; Garcia effective in rehab start."