The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Tommy Pham on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a left oblique strain.
Pham left Sunday’s season opener in the bottom of the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He grounded out in the first inning in his only plate appearance.
Pham, 28, batted .268 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 52 games as a rookie last season.
To take Pham’s spot on the roster, the Cardinals recalled rookie infielder Aledmys Diaz from Triple-A Memphis. He will be available for Tuesday night’s game against the Pirates.
—Brewers pitcher Matt Garza was “unlikely” to make his scheduled start Wednesday, manager Craig Counsell said before Monday’s Opening Day game against San Francisco.
Garza experienced shoulder stiffness in an exhibition start on Saturday against Double-A Biloxi.
Counsell said Garza would be examined by the team’s medical staff Monday and a trip to the disabled list has not been ruled out.
—Giants ace Madison Bumgarner made the Opening Day start against Milwaukee on Monday despite battling flu symptoms.
Bumgarner was not his normal self. It was obvious, too, as he allowed a leadoff single then a walk to Jonathan Villar before recording his first out on a Ryan Braun fly ball to center.
“I think without question it was affecting him,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “But he found a way to get through it. He gave us five and that’s about what I was hoping for when the game started. I figured he was a little washed out.
—Texas third base coach Tony Beasley will be in the dugout as he continues to undergo treatment for rectal cancer.
Spike Owen is serving as the interim third base coach.
Also, outfielder Josh Hamilton will head to Arizona Thursday when the Rangers begin their first road trip of the season.
There is a chance Hamilton, who is rehabbing from left knee surgery, could begin rehab assignment when the club returns to town April 14.
—Cincinnati recalled pitcher Robert Stephenson from Triple-A Louisville on Monday and announced he will make his first career start on Thursday afternoon.
The hard-throwing right-hander is considered the club’s top pitching prospect.
Homer Bailey was placed on the 15-day disabled list to make room for Stephenson.
—Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said pitcher Kevin Gausman will throw a 35-pitch bullpen session Tuesday.
Gausman has been diagnosed with a right shoulder strain.
After that, he will go three innings and five. The team still expects him to be come off the disabled list on April 19.