PITTSBURGH • Out of the lineup for the eighth straight game with a strained right calf, Cardinals center fielder Colby Rasmus said Wednesday night he was anticipating being able to play in Washington, where the Cardinals will play the next four days.

When he had to come out of a game early on Aug. 15, Rasmus thought he would be out four days. That has translated into 10, although he did pinch hit a couple of times.

An MRI last week showed that Rasmus had an issue on the outside of his right leg and he had to scale back his recuperation process.

"I was trying to stay positive and be optimistic, I guess," Rasmus said. "We were kind of pushing it along and then we got the MRI that showed it was kind of busted up in there a little bit, so we kind of backed down."

But, to a large degree, Rasmus said he had been influenced by how long it took former teammate Ryan Ludwick to kick a similar injury on the inside of his right leg.

Ludwick missed nearly a month, from June 26-July 24, and then was traded a week later.

"He was wanting to push it," said Rasmus, who noted that Ludwick had aggravated the injury by perhaps coming back too soon.

"Not that I don't want to be out there," Rasmus said, "That's not even close. I want to be in there instead of it coming back again and being out for three weeks. If I go out and play one game and then I'm out three weeks, that's not going to help us at all.

"But as soon as I can, I want to be out there. If I'm not playing this weekend, I don't know what we're going to do then."

Rasmus has stepped up his running recently and he said, "I'm not really feeling anything in there now."

If the Cardinals had chosen to place Rasmus on the disabled list, he would have been out until Sept. 3. "If I'm not playing by then, I'd be pretty upset," Rasmus said.

The Cardinals have struggled in the fifth spot in the lineup since Rasmus went out. A collection of Cardinals had gone five for 21.

"The guy who's really puzzling is Felipe (Lopez)," La Russa said. "We thought he had it going but now he's back in the .240s."

Jon Jay was in the fifth spot Wednesday night. As for Rasmus as a fifth-place hitter when he returns, La Russa said, "Rasmus fits best, when he's swinging well. But he's had periods when he is and when he isn't."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW ...

It's been nearly a month since the three-way trade that sent the popular Ludwick to San Diego, with the Cardinals acquiring righthander Jake Westbrook from Cleveland and installing rookie Jay as an everyday outfielder.

Through Tuesday's games, things weren't exactly as they might have seemed.

In 80 at-bats with San Diego since the trade, Ludwick was hitting .238 with three home runs, four doubles and 13 runs batted in.

In 72 at-bats with the Cardinals since then, Jay was hitting .306 with five doubles and nine runs batted in. And rookie Allen Craig, whose time in the Cardinals' outfield has increased, was hitting .263 with two doubles, one homer and six RBIs.

It could be said, though, that the Cardinals would have both Ludwick and Jay in the outfield now, with Rasmus in his second week of not being able to start.

MOLINA CALLED OFF

La Russa placed a call to catcher Yadier Molina late Tuesday night after the Cardinals' 4-3 loss.

The reason was to tell Molina that he would not be starting Wednesday night for the Cardinals for the first time since July 23. Molina had made 26 straight starts and 44 out of 45 before he yielded to rookie Bryan Anderson, who handled Westbrook for the first time.

"I'm OK with it," said Molina.

REYES ON THE MEND

Lefthander Dennys Reyes, on the 15-day disabled list with a sore left elbow, will throw a bullpen session tonight in Washington.