The move is retroactive to April 19, two days after Wacha went six innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits, in a 6-3 victory over the Brewers.
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Wacha was set to start Tuesday, the Cardinals’ fifth consecutive day with a game, so no starter would be ready on normal rest, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted .
Among options at Triple-A Memphis, Austin Gomber (2-0, 3.22 ERA at Triple-A) started Saturday for the Redbirds, so would be unavailable. Daniel Ponce de Leon (2-0, 3.64 at Triple-A) would be on turn in the Memphis rotation but isn’t listed as a probable starter this week, according to the Post-Dispatch.
In a corresponding move to placing Wacha on the IL, the Cardinals recalled infielder-outfielder Drew Robinson from Memphis, so another move would be necessary if Ponce de Leon starts Tuesday night against the visiting Brewers.
Wacha (1-0) was 8-2 in 2018, but missed much of the season with a strained left oblique. He had reached double digits in victories in two of the previous three seasons.
He has a team-best 4.64 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings this season. The team described his problem as patellar tendinitis in his left knee.
St. Louis (12-9) is tied for second in the NL Central with the Brewers (13-5), a game back of the first-place Pirates, ahead of Monday night’s opener of a three-game series against Milwaukee.
Cardinals starters are 6-5 this season, with only Miles Mikolas, at 2-1, having more than one win.
