“That would be super-optimistic, I think,” said manager Mike Shildt, who said his nine-time All-Star catcher certainly will be out for the Tigers’ series. Francisco Pena started on Friday and will start one more game this weekend with Carson Kelly getting the other game.

Shildt called it a “mild” strain for Molina. “He felt better (Thursday). No timetable set," said Shildt. "As far as hamstrings go, this is about best-case scenario. But we’re still talking hamstrings. Hamstrings are kind of hard to gauge.”

Later Shildt said, “It’s going to keep him out of the lineup for some period of time. We’re not sure what that looks like. It could have been a lot worse. But I don’t think he’ll come back in four days from a hamstring.”

WONG BACK

Second baseman Kolten Wong, who was on the 10-day disabled list with his own left hamstring strain, was back in the Cardinals’ lineup although Shildt said he would start only one of the other two games this weekend.

Third baseman Jedd Gyorko, who has been on the DL with a strained left groin, will be activated on Saturday but Shildt didn’t foresee him targeted for field duty until early next week