MILWAUKEE • As the Cardinals learned late Thursday that Michael Wacha had a strained muscle along his ribcage that will sideline him for “a good little bit,” they lined up their three options for Monday’s vacated start and acknowledged a lengthy absence could mean looking beyond their depth chart.
Wacha returned Thursday to St. Louis, where an MRI confirmed a serious strain of the oblique muscle. The Cardinals placed Wacha on the disabled list for they expect to be several weeks, at least, and the team recalled starter John Gant from Class AAA Memphis. Gant will be available for the series in Milwaukee as a reliever, and if not used he could start Monday at Busch Stadium against Cleveland.