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Knee infection puts Grudzielanek in hospital

Cardinal second baseman will not travel with team to Pittsburgh

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek was hospitalized overnight with a knee infection and will not travel with the Cardinals for the start of a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Grudzielanek had a previous injury to his left knee that became worse Saturday when he slid safely home on a squeeze play during the Cardinals’ 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants.

The knee swelled and Grudzielanek spent the night at Barnes-Jewish Hospital West in St. Louis County. He was discharged Sunday but was not at the game.

Manager Tony La Russa said Grudzielanek will be sidelined “a couple of days and it may be longer. We’ll just keep our fingers crossed.”

Grudzielanek, 35, signed with St. Louis in the offseason as a free agent after Tony Womack left for the New York Yankees.

He is hitting .303 with seven homers and 48 RBIs and has made just five errors at second base. He and shortstop David Eckstein, also new to St. Louis this season, have been a big reason the Cardinals have turned 157 double plays — three more than all of last season.

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The Cardinals’ starting lineup Sunday included just two players who started the season opener: Eckstein and Jim Edmonds.

Third baseman Scott Rolen has a shoulder injury and the Cardinals said Sunday he will have season-ending surgery this week. Outfielder Reggie Sanders has a broken right leg and won’t return until September, and catcher Yadier Molina and outfielder Larry Walker returned in the past week after long stays on the disabled list.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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