Cardinals’ Lance Lynn headed to DL

The St. Louis Cardinals got some news they didn’t want on Friday, but this news shouldn’t affect the team’s long-term health.

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Rick Hummel, the Cardinals placed starting pitcher Lance Lynn on the 15-day disabled list due to tightness in his right forearm. The club called up Tyler Lyons from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding roster move.

The Cardinals can backdate the transaction to Monday since Lynn hasn’t pitched in a while, so he could come off the disabled list as early as June 24. All indications are this will happen.

More from Redbird Rants

• Cardinals Rumors: 3 pros and cons of signing Carlos Rodon
• What’s next for the St. Louis Cardinals after Contreras signing?
• Report: Cardinals Emerge As Mystery Team for Carlos Rodon
• Cardinals: Trade targets after signing Willson Contreras
• Reflecting on the 2013 Cardinals’ top 30 prospects

While Lynn’s temporary departure could spell disaster under worse circumstances, this injury is by no means as bad as those suffered by Matt Adams and Matt Holliday (quads) and by Adam Wainwright (Achilles).

The rotation, at least for the next two weeks, should be Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez, Jaime Garcia, John Lackey, and Tyler Lyons. It’s still a fairly good rotation, barring any more setbacks.

The Cardinals had an idea this injury was coming, unlike the other three. Lynn had been pitching with this tightness for a while now, and rather than subject Lynn to any more injury the club simply sent him back to St. Louis for treatment.

St. Louis is ahead of the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates by 6 1/2 games each, and as long as the Cardinals don’t fritter that entire lead away in the next two weeks it shouldn’t be time to hit the panic button.

Now if anyone else gets hurt…