NEW YORK -- The St. Louis Cardinals have put reliever Trevor Rosenthal on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right shoulder.
The Cardinals made the move before Tuesday's doubleheader against the New York Mets. They promoted left-hander Dean Kiekhefer from the minors for his third stint with St. Louis this year.
On Saturday, Rosenthal reported tightness in his shoulder and the team sent him to visit a specialist on Monday. Manager Mike Matheny said Rosenthal will undergo further tests in the coming days before the team knows the severity of the injury.
"He wasn't necessarily feeling anything in there that was alarming, but he just wanted to have it looked, try to help figure things out," Matheny said. "I think it's along those same lines and, hopefully, it can be a step in the right direction."
The team has discussed converting Rosenthal to a starter, but Matheny said they first have to determine the severity of the injury. Rosenthal, whose fastball routinely reaches 98 and 99 mph, has expressed a desire to be a starting pitcher as recently as this spring. He has more pitches in his repertoire than most relievers.
Rosenthal lost his closer's job in late June. The 26-year-old righty is 2-4 with a 5.13 ERA and 14 saves in 18 chances. Manager Mike Matheny recently said that Rosenthal wouldn't be used in key spots for a while.
Rosenthal led the majors with a combined 93 saves the past two seasons.
Information from ESPN's Mark Saxon and The Associated Press was used in this report.