Wong day to day with elbow contusion
Cardinals second baseman hit by Miley's pickoff throw in third inning
ST. LOUIS -- Kolten Wong is day to day after sustaining a right elbow contusion in the third inning of the Cardinals' 7-2 win over the Brewers on Saturday night at Busch Stadium. Interim manager Mike Shildt said Wong's X-rays were negative and that it's "not a serious issue." Greg Garcia replaced Wong at second base to start the fourth inning.
"It just got him in a tough place, kind of a stinger," Shildt said. "He had trouble gripping the ball, so clearly it was a decision to get him out today, and [we] will evaluate him for tomorrow and moving forward."
After a leadoff single, Wong was on first base with St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas at the plate and was hit by a pickoff throw by Milwaukee starter Wade Miley. Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar moved from the base when Miley lifted his front knee and was not covering the bag when the left-hander threw over. Wong retreated to the base and was hit by the throw. He was attended to after the play but stayed in the game initially before being retired at second base on Mikolas' bunt.
With Aguilar retreating from first base on the play, Miley was lucky his throw hit Wong, because it otherwise would have gone up the first-base line.
"That's on me, too, because in that situation, a bunt situation, I'm not supposed to pick there," Miley said. "I was thinking I can catch him sleeping with the pitcher bunting. Unfortunately, it hit him, but fortunately, it hit him. One of those deals."
The Cardinals went on to rally for three runs in the inning on a Tyler O'Neill RBI single and Paul DeJong's two-run base hit. The sequence of events was made possible when Yadier Molina reached on a passed ball after he struck out against Miley with two outs.