Cardinals roster riddled by more injuries: Matt Carpenter on IL, Willson Contreras bruised

Shortly after suggesting that they did not need to bring up a backup catcher as insurance due to Willson Contreras' bruised hand and questionable availability for a few days, the Cardinals did exactly that. Pedro Pages, a gifted defensive catcher, joined the major-league roster shortly before the Cardinals' regular-season home opener Thursday at Busch Stadium. To create room on the active roster for Pages, the Cardinals placed veteran infielder and designated hitter Matt Carpenter on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. It is not clear specifically when Carpenter experienced the injury, though he did not appear in the series finale in San Diego on Wednesday.