MIAMI -- All-Star shortstop Aledmys Diaz left the St. Louis Cardinals' game at Miami after being hit on the right hand by a pitch in the first inning Sunday, and he will undergo further examination by a specialist Monday.
Following the Cardinals' 5-4 loss, Diaz said the swelling had already started to subside.
"The moment I got hit I got scared -- I didn't know what it was going to be," Diaz said. "Thank God it's nothing too serious."
When the pitch hit Diaz he took his base, but he was replaced after the inning, with Greg Garcia moving from second base to short.
Diaz was hit by Andrew Cashner, making his first start since being acquired by Miami in a seven-player trade.
"It was his throwing hand," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "That is never positive, especially for a shortstop."
Diaz is batting .312 with 14 home runs. He became the regular shortstop filling in for an injured Jhonny Peralta, who has since moved to third base.
Peralta is now recovering from a thumb injury. He began a rehab assignment Sunday at Class A Palm Beach and moved from third base to shortstop in the minor league game after Diaz was hurt.
Peralta could be available to fill in at short when the Cardinals begin a series Tuesday in Cincinnati.
"We know he's a very good shortstop," Matheny said. "We'll get him playing over there. It's the position he knows best."
