St. Louis Cardinals CF Dexter Fowler leaves game with shoulder injury

ST. LOUIS -- Center fielder Dexter Fowler became the second St. Louis Cardinals outfielder to leave Thursday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers with an injury when he suffered a right shoulder strain in the third inning.

Fowler sustained the injury when he dove for and missed Hernan Perez's fly ball to the left-center-field gap that went for a double. Fowler finished the inning but was replaced before the start of the fourth by Randal Grichuk, who started the game in left field.

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny moved shortstop Aledmys Diaz, who prior to Thursday night had never played an inning of professional ball as an outfielder, to left and inserted Greg Garcia into Fowler's leadoff spot in the lineup as a shortstop.

An inning earlier, right fielder Stephen Piscotty left the game with a strained right hamstring.

Prior to the injury, Fowler was 1-for-2 with a two-run triple in the second inning. At the time of his departure, the Cardinals led Milwaukee 4-3.

Fowler is hitting .223 with four home runs and nine RBIs in the first year of a multi-year contract with St. Louis.