Lohse likely headed to DL

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals pitcher Kyle Lohse underwent an MRI exam of his right forearm that revealed inflammation but no structural damage.

Lohse was on the St. Louis team flight to San Diego on Monday but said he didn't expect to make his next scheduled start, which would be Friday in Chicago against the Cubs.

"I don't think so," Lohse said. "I really don't know what tomorrow is going to bring."

Lohse is scheduled for further medical exams to determine the extent of the injury. The team said there's no timetable for the right-hander's return.

Lohse had two MRIs on Monday, one before exercising and a second after working out.

"It was enough to show the inflammation," Lohse said. "I basically got the feeling I would get from throwing. Something is going on."

Lohse is 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA. He allowed six runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Angels on Saturday, and said after the game that he often experienced a cramping sensation in the forearm. Lohse was 4-1 last season before being hit by a pitch on the forearm May 23, and won only two games the remainder of the season.

In 2008, Lohse was a 15-game winner in his first season with the Cardinals.

Lohse likely will join Brad Penny (upper back) on the 15-day disabled list. Like Penny, Lohse had not mentioned that his 2009 symptoms had returned before Saturday's start, but problems in his latest outing convinced him he had to tell the team.

"I learned my lesson last year about trying to pitch through things," he said. "I need to get it figured out."

The Cardinals promoted rookie right-hander P.J. Walters from Class AAA Memphis on Saturday when Penny went on the DL, and Walters worked four innings of relief that day. Among the candidates to replace Lohse are Adam Ottavino, Lance Lynn and Evan MacLane, none of whom has major league experience, and perhaps left-hander Rich Hill.

St. Louis had one rookie in the rotation, Jaime Garcia, before the Penny injury.

"If we had Kyle and Brad down deep you wouldn't have this feeling in your gut that 'Wow, it's going to be a tough time,'" Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "We've just got to tough it out.

"Somebody will come up and do a good job for us, one of these young pitchers will do well."