ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals already knew they would be without starting outfielders Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman because of injuries when the regular season begins on Thursday.
Now, they might be without Dylan Carlson too.
Carlson was injured when he and Jordan Walker collided while trying to catch a fly ball in right center during Monday’s pre-season game against the Cubs in Mesa, Ariz.
Carlson had to come out of the game after the collision in the bottom of the second inning. He walked off the field on his own, but appeared to be holding his left shoulder when he was sitting in the dugout.
There was no immediate information released by the team about the extent of Carlson’s injury. The team said he was being examined at a nearby medical facility and likely would not know more about Carlson’s condition until Tuesday.
Carlson was hurt when Walker tried to make a diving catch and collided with Carlson’s legs, sending him tumbling to the ground on the warning track.
Carlson won the starting job in center field, ahead of prospect Victor Scott II, after a strong spring training. Carlson had gone into the spring projected to be the team’s fourth outfielder, before Edman was slowed in his recovery from off-season wrist surgery.
Nootbaar suffered two non-displaced fractures of his ribs when he collided with an outfield wall in a game in early March in West Palm Beach, Fla. There has been no timetable about how long either Nootbaar and Edman will be out.
Edman did not play in a game this spring and Nootbaar just resumed swinging a bat after his injury. Both are still in Florida to continue rehabbing from their injuries.
Michael Siani was named to the opening day roster as the backup outfielder and he came into Monday’s game to replace Carlson and later made an outstanding diving catch.
If Carlson has to also go on the injured list, the Cardinals could promote Scott, one of their top prospects, who was re-assigned to the minor-league camp on Saturday. He had been expecting to begin the season with Triple A Memphis.
Carlson, who led the Cardinals with three home runs this spring, had missed much of the last two seasons because of a wrist injury in 2022 and an injured ankle last year which required season-ending surgery.
The Cardinals won the game against the Cubs 6-3, getting a two-run homer from Willson Contreras. Steven Matz gave up two homers to Seiya Suzuki and three runs in 4 1/3 innings before four relievers shut out the Cubs over the final 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit.
The Cardinals and Cubs will play again on Tuesday, with Kyle Gibson the scheduled starter in the final pre-season game.