Cards stuff: Albert Pujols plays third, Allen Craig has fracture - MLB

I’m not sure they’re all worthy of separate entries, but there’s plenty of Cardinals news today:

– Albert Pujols is making his fourth start and fifth appearance at third base in Wednesday’s game against the Nationals. It may not mean a whole lot to some, but that fifth appearance gives him third-base eligibility in a lot of fantasy leagues, making the game’s No. 1 property even more valuable.

– Allen Craig, who had been doing excellent work before going on the DL on Sunday with a left knee contusion, was found to have a small fracture in his kneecap, likely putting him out through the All-Star break. Craig has hit .336/.405/.523 with 23 RBI in 107 at-bats this year, so it’s a substantial loss. Still, he wasn’t going to play quite so much anymore because…

– The Cardinals confirmed Wednesday that Matt Holliday would come off the disabled list on Thursday. He’s been out since June 1 with a left quad strain.

– The team also revealed that rookie setup man Eduardo Sanchez was sent home Wednesday for a shoulder examination. The hope is that he merely has some inflammation, leaving him day-to-day. Still, the Cards will want to be careful with the 22-year-old. Sanchez, who was briefly the team’s closer last month, has a 1.88 ERA in 28 2/3 innings.

– Finally, the team sent down third baseman Matt Carpenter today to make room for Kyle McClellan, who is coming off the DL to start against the Nationals. Carpenter was 1-for-15 during his brief stay.

PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.

The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.

The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.

“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”

New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.

“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”

Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.

The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.

New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.

Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.