Cardinals' Wacha lands on DL with left oblique strain

The St. Louis Cardinals have placed right-handed starter Michael Wacha on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain. The injury forced him to leave Wednesday's start against the Philadelphia Phillies after 3 2/3 innings.

Wacha has been a generally reliable anchor for the Cardinals' rotation this season, going 8-2 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 71 strikeouts over 84 1/3 innings. The one area of concern has been an influx of free passes, posting a career-high 3.84 BB/9.

The 26-year-old joins fellow starters Alex Reyes and Adam Wainwright on the DL as injuries have started to pile up for the Cardinals. The rotation was seen as the team's strongest asset for much of the early going, but has now developed into another area of concern alongside an inconsistent offense (.713 OPS) and a bullpen prone to implosion (4.33 ERA).

Ace Carlos Martinez missed almost a month with a lat strain and hasn't quite been himself since returning in early June. He's gone 0-1 in three starts with a 7.11 ERA and has issued 18 walks over 12 2/3 innings.

Wacha was scheduled to take the mound Monday against the Cleveland Indians, and while the team has recalled right-hander John Gant from Triple-A, no official announcement has been made about who will get the nod.