St. Louis starting pitcher Kwang Hyun Kim exited the game against the visiting Cincinnati Reds before the start of the fourth inning with what the Cardinals quickly announced was back tightness.
Kim, who began the night 1-3 with a 3.65 ERA after nine starts, threw one warm-up pitch before the top of the fourth before walking off. The left-hander missed the first few weeks of the season with back issues.
In three innings, Kim allowed three runs on two hits, home runs by Reds rookies Tyler Stephenson and Jonathan India. Kim struck out three, hit a batter and walked none.
The 32-year-old Kim entered the night with a three-game losing streak. He is in his second season with the Cardinals following 12 years in his native South Korea.
In his two seasons with St. Louis, Kim is 4-3 with a 2.61 ERA 16 games, all but one of those appearances as a starter. In 2020, he went 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA in eight games, seven as a starter.