ST. LOUIS (AP) -Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright will be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday.

The St. Louis ace injured his right middle finger while pitching in Houston on Saturday. He was examined on Monday and found to have a sprain. It wasn't immediately clear how many starts Wainwright would miss. The Cardinals said the move will be retroactive to Sunday.

Wainwright is 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA this season.

Also Monday, the Cardinals announced that three other players battling injuries - pitchers Joel Pineiro and Todd Wellemeyer and outfielder Rick Ankiel - will most likely rejoin the team this week in Cincinnati. The Cardinals and Reds open a three-game series on Tuesday.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.