JUPITER, Fla. — Cardinals lefthanded reliever Tyler Johnson had his warmup stopped when he felt “something wrong” with his left shoulder. Though Johnson had little to say after the game — he gave reporters a pleasant no comment — team officials said Johnson was stopped when he experienced tightness and weakness in the arm.

Johnson will have an MRI on the shoulder Monday and will not throw until those results are known.

“Any time you stop a pitcher from throwing,” trainer Barry Weinberg said, “there is a concern.”

The lefthander, one of the four in the hunt for possibly two spots in the bullpen, was the backup pitcher Friday and was “hot” for Saturday’s game. He was scheduled to throw one inning, but during his warmup he told bullpen coach Marty Mason he didn’t feel right, according to pitching coach Dave Duncan. Johnson met with a team doctor after the game and it was because of that evaluation that he’ll be sent for a scan to check the structure of the shoulder.

“I don’t have much to say right now,” Johnson said.  

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The Cardinals released minor-league pitcher Donnie Smith on Friday after looking into his arrest here in Palm Beach County on felony battery charges. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said the club decided it was best not for Smith to “have to worry about baseball.”

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Cardinals reliever Josh Kinney, returning from Tommy John surgery, will begin “spinning breaking balls” on Sunday. It’s the next stage in his rehab, but it also means he dials back his effort for a few bullpens to steadily increase the speed and intensity of his work.

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Wellington, Fla., native Tyler Herron made his 1 o’clock debut as a result of Johnson’s absence. Like Adam Ottavino in the innings before him, Herron pitched well despite the raw, boxscore result. Both Ottavino and Herron were undone by errors — infield errors, on groundballs, you the drill. Good pitch. Good means. Bad ends. Herron got the misleading loss after allowing one hit in 1 1/3 innings in 20 pitches. Ottavino did not allow hit in two innings, but walked two and gave up two runs (both unearned).

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What’s up with all the zero star votes? I mean, is that even possible?

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Manager Tony La Russa sez: “There may be the possibility that we’re not going to be as bad as people think we’re going to be.”

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Here are the minor-league pitchers who are attending the current minicamp, which is working them on “classic mechanics”:

• RHP Tom Eager

• RHP David Kopp

• RHP Gary Daley Jr.

• RHP Blake King

• RHP Kris Honel

• LHP Eric Haberer

• RHP Nick Webber

• RHP Jess Todd, and …

• RHP Mark McCormick

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Spoke with former Cardinals’ organization player of the year John Gall the other day. He’s a new father (of a 4 month old) and he’s a returning Marlin. He spoke briefly with the Cardinals this offseason — possibly about a return try as a righthanded bat in the outfield — but decided the opportunity was best for him at the same spring training complex, but the other side.

Last summer with the Marlins’ Triple-A team, Gall got his 1,000th minor-league hit. He had four at-bats (and no hits) in three games in the majors.

Gall, 29, was the 26th man on the Marlins’ 25-man roster last spring. There were 26 players on the team’s flight to its preseason exhibition games in Dayton, Ohio. Turns out he was the spare. Gall was the last guy cut before opening day.

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A note that didn’t make this morning’s paper, but part of which appeared in Friday’s blog:

JUAN HAVING BLAST
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — At least one thing hasn’t changed about Juan Gonzalez since he last played in the majors: He still punishes Johan Santana. The aspiring Cardinal and two-time MVP stroked a three-run home run off the Cy Young-winning lefty Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The blast staked the Cardinals to an early lead and dented Santana’s Mets debut.

The lefty came to New York in a swap with Minnesota that hinged on him signing a seven-year, $137.5-million contract. The slugger came to the Cardinals on a minor-league deal, looking to rekindling a career.

He has three hits in two games, and that first-pitch blast.

“It’s good,” said Gonzalez, who is 6-for-7 in his career against Santana, with no strikeouts and two homers. “Everybody sees, ‘He’s healthy, he’s swinging the bat well the first couple games.’ Good signs. The big thing is staying healthy.”

Said Santana: “He’s always been a great hitter.”

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For the ping! fans out there, the fifth-ranked Mizzou baseball team swept its Friday games at the USD Tournament in San Diego. The Tigers defeated Cal, 7-5, as Aaron Senne drove in five runs. Ace Aaron Crow, widely regarded as one of the best pitchers available for the coming draft, started his season with a career-high 10 strikeouts in the start. Ian Berger followed with a career-best 7 1/3 innings against San Diego State at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Tigers’ 3-1 victory featured one walk, none by Mizzou and one by a MU pitcher.

Mizzou (5-1) plays host University of San Diego on Saturday and closes the tournament against Cal-Poly on Sunday.

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