Isringhausen placed on DL; Chris Perez joins Cardinals

Jason Isringhausen has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a laceration on his right hand. Class AAA Memphis closer Chris Perez's contract has been purchased and he will be in uniform at 7:15 tonight when the Cardinals play Tampa Bay.

This is a good move for the Cardinals, although I'm not sure how Isringhausen suffered a cut on his hand. He mentioned nothing about it after the game Thursday. At any rate, it will be fun to watch the power arm of Perez, who will wear No. 63.

To make room for Perez on the 40-man roster, the Cardinals transferred pitcher Josh Kinney from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Kinney has experienced setbacks in his return from Tommy John surgery.

My guess is Tony La Russa will stick with Ryan Franklin as the primary closer, with Perez easing into the role by first being a setup guy. But I could be wrong. Perez has the pedigree to close. He had eight saves this season, ranking fourth in the Pacific Coast League, and was 35 for 37 between Class AA Springfield and Memphis last season.

More on this situation later. Until then, enjoy the sunshine.