St. Louis, MO – The St. Louis Cardinals, in the middle of a tight National League Central race, have placed pitcher Jake Westbrook on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain.
Westbrook started Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers and gave up five runs -- four earned -- on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander is 7-8 with a 4.49 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) this season.
To take Westbrook's spot on the roster, the Cardinals recalled right-hander Carlos Martinez from Triple-A Memphis.
Martinez made his first start in the big leagues on Aug. 8 against the Dodgers, allowing four runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.19 ERA in 11 games (one start) for the Cardinals this year.
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