The Cardinals traded for third baseman Pedro Feliz because of their opinion of his glove, but he debuted at fifth in the lineup because manager Tony La Russa agrees there is more to his bat than his meager numbers this season.
"I'm not a .220 hitter," Feliz said.
Feliz, wearing No. 77, started at third and singled in his first at-bat behind Matt Holliday on Friday. The Cardinals dealt a minor-league reliever to Houston for the infielder and cash Thursday. Feliz explained his .221 average and .243 on-base percentage this season as byproducts of a difficult situation in Houston, where he was supplanted at third by rookie Chris Johnson after a sluggish start. Feliz, 35, hit .179 and slugged .226 in May.
"It wasn't happening," Feliz said, sitting in the Cardinals dugout before batting practice Friday. "They decided to put the other guy at third, and I was playing only once in a while. It was a hard time for me. Sometimes I got a couple hits in a game, and then didn't play for five days. It's not easy. We'll see what happens here. I'm ready to go and play somewhere else."
La Russa repeatedly called Feliz "a good fit" for the Cardinals. The team was in desperate need of an everyday player at third to alleviate the strain on Felipe Lopez. The manager conceded that Feliz doesn't project the impact bat that the Cardinals are also seeking to improve their offensive depth. Feliz, who has a career .289 on-base percentage, has hit .280 in the past month and he's hit .270 against lefties this season.
"He did play against us," La Russa said. "It didn't look like there was anything wrong with him at the plate, which shows me he can play the way he's been most of his career. ... He's healthy. He still plays a good third base, an excellent third base."
McLAUGHLIN GETS BRIEF LEAVE
Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin did not broadcast Friday's game for Fox Sports Midwest and he is not expected to return to the booth until next week after a mutually agreed upon two-game leave of absence, several officials confirmed. McLaughlin was charged this week with operating a vehicle while intoxicated as a result of his arrest Monday. Fox Sports Midwest released a statement that only said McLaughlin was taking time off for "personal reasons."
The Cardinals were told about McLaughlin and the station's decision on Friday afternoon and did not have a role in the discussion, an official said.
Rick Horton replaced McLaughlin in the booth Friday, and he will call tonight's game with color commentator Al Hrabosky. The station's release states that McLaughlin is expected back to broadcast the team's game Monday, the first of a three-game visit to Pittsburgh.
REYES' ELBOW hurting
Lefty reliever Dennys Reyes will not appear in this series against San Francisco as he attempts to recover from soreness in his left elbow. Reyes felt a twinge in the joint while throwing a slider against the Chicago Cubs at the start of this home stand. Reyes threw off the mound Friday to test the elbow, but he acknowledged that he wasn't throwing at 100 percent effort.
The Cardinals would like Reyes to throw at full-effort before he's cleared for a game appearance, and his next attempt will be as early as Sunday.
"A tiny strain in my elbow," said Reyes. "Looks like nothing for a few days. Get it back to normal."
ROTATION SHUFFLE
The Cardinals will buy Adam Wainwright another day between starts by moving Kyle Lohse off his scheduled start Sunday and into the series next week at Pittsburgh. Rookie Jaime Garcia will start Sunday against San Francisco. The reworking of the rotation gave Lohse the chance to throw an expanded bullpen session today.
EXTRA BASES
Colby Rasmus (strained calf) was evaluated again by team doctors Friday and his status for the weekend series was uncertain, La Russa said. ... To make room on the roster for newly acquired Feliz, the Cardinals optioned outfielder Nick Stavinoha to Class AAA Memphis.
Dan Caesar of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
