PITTSBURGH -- With his left thumb still ailing several days after jamming it on a swing, Jose Martinez will return to St. Louis on Saturday so that the Cardinals' medical staff can get a better look at the injury.
Manager Mike Matheny pulled Martinez midway through the seventh inning after seeing his first baseman grimace after catching a warmup toss. Martinez didn't put up an argument, and he said after the team's 4-3 win over the Pirates on Friday that the decision to take at least the weekend off is a necessary one.
"I've been trying to play through it, but I don't think it's going to be a good idea to go up there and give some at-bats away," Martinez said. "It feels really bad when I'm swinging."
Before exiting, Martinez drew a pair of walks and hit into two double plays.
"I knew it had been bothering him," Matheny said. "We talked about it. But that was the first time I saw him, on defense as he caught a ball, start to favor it. [We'll] get some pictures and see if there's something we can do to expedite the [healing] process."
With Martinez out for the remainder of this series, the Cardinals are likely to shift Matt Carpenter back to first base. The Cardinals have plenty of options for third, including Jedd Gyorko, Alex Mejia and Greg Garcia. Gyorko, who recently recovered from a hamstring injury, delivered the game-tying hit on Friday.