Edmonds likely headed for DL; no one certain for how long

ST. LOUIS -- Jim Edmonds missed his fifth straight start Wednesday with what St. Louis Cardinals medical officials again suspect is a sports hernia, and manager Tony La Russa expects to be without the outfielder for a while.

Edmonds was scheduled to be examined by a specialist later Wednesday after undergoing an MRI on Tuesday. Team doctors have struggled to pin down a diagnosis.

"I just don't know what to expect with Jimmy, but I know that he's sore, and if he's sore we're better off backing him away and getting him right," La Russa said. "It's not going to do him any good.

"So I'd be surprised if he's on the active list come Friday."

The Cardinals are off today, and La Russa said the team likely would recall an outfielder from Class AAA Memphis. He said a combination of So Taguchi, Larry Bigbie and Juan Encarnacion, who made his first start of the season in center field on Wednesday, could fill in defensively.

Team physician Dr. George Paletta said without a specific diagnosis, it's difficult to treat Edmonds, who was hitting .241 with five homers and 29 RBIs in 43 games. A few days ago, the team also had suspected swollen lymph nodes as the source of Edmonds' discomfort.

If the injury is a sports hernia, Paletta said treatment would vary depending on the severity. He said it was possible to get a player through the season with a milder injury, although a more severe case would require surgery.

Paletta said if surgery was required, recovery could take anywhere from six weeks to six months.

The Cardinals were two players short in their 4-3, 11-inning victory over Houston on Wednesday because utilityman Scott Spiezio remained home for the second straight day due to illness that has swept through the team recently.