DENVER — After a meeting with the Cardinals team doctor Wednesday morning, lefthanded starter Mark Mulder will be shut down for at least a week to calm what’s being called a “mild rotator cuff strain”, the team announced in a press release this afternoon.

Mulder experienced what was described as “shoulder fatigue” during his start Monday in Memphis. He was scheduled for one start on his rehab assignment, and then the Cardinals were going to have to decide what do with the lefthander when the 30 days of his rehab assignment expired May 14.

Wednesday’s diagnosis delays that decision.

“The bottomline is this is not a setback whatsoever,” Mulder’s agent Gregg Clifton said this afternoon. “It’s a hiatus for a week, and then after he’s re-evaluated he’ll be back out there. … Everyone feels a brief rest period will allow him to come back (feeling stronger).”

Mulder is coming off two shoulder surgeries in the past two seasons. The first was a repairing of his labrum and left rotator cuff. The second was needed last September to repatch a section of the rotator cuff that did not heal following the first surgery.

Through his rehab, Mulder has also been trying to break the bad mechanical habits that developed over the course of pitching several seasons with rotator cuff troubles. That has mainly meant restoring his arm slot to a higher, full-extension release than he ever had as a Cardinal.

The lefthander met with Dr. George Paletta in St. Louis in Wednesday morning. The evaluation discovered a “mild rotator cuff strain”, and a seven to 10 days of rest were prescribed. He will be re-evaluated at the end of the stretch.

Mulder made five starts on his rehab assignment, posting a 6.66 ERA and allowing 33 hits in 25 2/3 innings on his rehab assignment.

More later today here and on StlToday.com

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