NL Notes: Pujols makes first trip to disabled list

This is a much larger challenge for the St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols will be out indefinitely with a strained muscle on his right side.

Pujols, last year's NL MVP and this season's major-league leader in home runs and runs batted in, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday.

"Life would be easier with Albert," closer Jason Isringhausen said. "But we've played without our star players before. We'll have to weather the storm."

Last year, the Cardinals soldiered through two Scott Rolen shoulder operations, Reggie Sanders' broken leg and Yadier Molina's broken hand, injuries that did not prevent them from their second straight 100-win season.

An MRI exam scheduled today will give the team a better picture of how long Pujols, batting .308 with 25 homers and 65 RBI, will be sidelined. Dr. George Paletta, the team's orthopedic consultant, said Saturday that he could be out as long as six weeks.

On Sunday, trainer Barry Weinberg characterized the injury as "moderate to severe," saying it was closer to severe than moderate, and said Pujols had limited mobility and pain.

"Now, we just go through the steps of getting him better," Weinberg said. "The first thing he has to do is normal things: coughing, sneezing and opening the door.

"Then we can get more aggressive with the rehab and we can get more aggressive with some baseball activity."

Manager Tony La Russa said Pujols heard something pop when he tried to chase Aramis Ramirez' foul pop fly in the second inning on Saturday, then pulled up and grabbed his right side. Pujols finished the inning but was removed before the third inning.

"He doesn't give into pain very much," La Russa said. "So I knew there was something going on."

Atlanta: Manager Bobby Cox said RHP John Smoltz wants to pitch Wednesday against Washington on three days rest. But Cox didn't sound enthusiastic about using the 39-year-old Smoltz on less than normal rest. "Smoltz wants to do it," Cox said. "We'll see."

Chicago: Cubs reliever Scott Williamson was placed on the 15-day DL with tendinitis in his right elbow, an injury suffered on his last pitch the previous day. The team recalled RHP Carlos Marmol from Class AA West Tenn.

Los Angeles: The Dodgers recalled LHP Hong-Chih Kuo from AAA Las Vegas and sent LHP Tim Hamulack to the 51s.

Milwaukee: RF Geoff Jenkins remembers running for a foul ball, then being sprawled on the ground after running into first baseman Prince Fielder. Jenkins is day to day with a mild concussion after his collision with Fielder, and the Brewers lost their eighth straight game. They are a season-worst five games under .500. Both players were going after a foul pop by Brendan Harris in the fourth inning, and the burly Fielder never saw Jenkins as the right fielder plowed into him. Jenkins appeared to hit his right shoulder into Fielder's chest and crumpled in a heap.

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