The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Dexter Fowler on the injured list Wednesday for precautionary reasons relating to medication he's taking for a stomach illness, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
He's expected to miss a few weeks of action.
Fowler has been battling the stomach issue for several weeks now, forcing him to leave Monday's game in Cincinnati early. Doctors have put him on medication that could suppress his immune response, the team said. Concerns about his potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus with a compromised immune system resulted in Fowler and the team deciding it's best for him to not be with the club's traveling party temporarily.
The Cardinals were shut down for several weeks after a COVID-19 outbreak in their clubhouse infected 10 players, among other personnel.
Losing Fowler is a blow to St. Louis, as the team needs to play multiple doubleheaders down the stretch while pushing for what would be a surprising playoff berth. The 34-year-old has been one of the squad's best offensive contributors this year, slashing .279/.347/.485 with four homers, 14 RBIs, and one stolen base in 23 games.
Because it's an immune-system concern related to COVID-19 safety, the Cardinals can replace Fowler on their 40-man roster and then activate him from the IL at any time.
Infielder Rangel Ravelo was activated from the injured list in a corresponding roster move. St. Louis also recalled left-hander Rob Kaminsky from its alternate training site, and right-hander Ryan Meisinger was optioned.
