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It appears that the Cardinals/Reds brawl Tuesday night wasn't completely harmless; the Cardinals have called catcher Steven Hill up from Double-A Springfield Wednesday because Jason LaRue was injured in the donnybrook and the Cardinals aren't sure when he'll be available to catch. He's not going on the disabled list, though (Jeff Suppan is, with a strained groin), so the Cardinals will go with three catchers and a slightly short bullpen for at least the next few days while they determine how seriously LaRue is injured.
Cards' manager Tony La Russa says the injury came when LaRue was kicked in the head by Johnny Cueto and that he may have broken ribs. Cueto hasn't been disciplined yet, but as of this afternoon Major League Baseball is still reviewing last night's fracas to determine if suspensions will be necessary. Cueto, along with instigators Brandon Phillips and Yadier Molina, visibly active participants like Chris Carpenter and Scott Rolen, and managers La Russa and Dusty Baker seem to be the most likely to face ramifications for the brawl.
But for now the one obvious day-after effect is the presence of Hill as Yadier Molina's backup. Hill, 25, will make his major league debut if he's inserted into a game during his call-up (he hasn't appeared in Wednesday afternoon's Reds/Cards game yet as Yadier Molina is making his 15th consecutive start). Before this morning, Hill was spending a third straight year in Double-A, hitting .280/.352/.543 with 22 homers in 96 games.
Even if LaRue doesn't go on the disabled list, Hill's call-up doesn't necessarily have to be short-lived. The Cardinals were carrying 13 pitchers before Suppan went on the disabled list and aren't likely to go back to that many anytime soon. Even though Hill's never played above Double-A, he's probably a better pinch-hitting option than LaRue and his .596 OPS.
Presumably, though, if LaRue isn't going to miss much time, the Cardinals would want to use that roster spot on someone a little more polished and versatile than Hill, whether it's an internal option like Allen Craig or Ruben Gotay or a waiver-trade acquisition to fill the utility infield spot that opened with David Freese's injury.
In a week that saw two teams get fresh starts with new managers, FanHouse TV presents "Three Up" around the big leagues. Click below to watch:
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