John Gast (shoulder) allowed one run over five innings in a start for High-A Palm Beach on Monday.

It was Gast's first outing since he underwent surgery on his left lat last July. The left-hander has been brought along slowly but should make it up to Triple-A Memphis before long.

Cardinals sent LHP John Gast outright to Triple-A Memphis.

Gast, a sixth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2010, registered a promising 1.16 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in seven appearances this past season at the Triple-A level. He also made three starts in the majors, but those didn't go as smoothly. The 24-year-old southpaw had surgery on his left lat in July and is a question mark for the start of spring training next February.

John Gast will undergo season-ending surgery on his left lat.

Gast has been out since late May with a strained lat, and he simply hadn't progressed as hoped. "That's obviously why we needed to have surgery," Gast said, "because it wasn't getting better." The young left-hander will be sidelined 4-5 months but should be fine for spring training.

John Gast remains shut down, as he's still having some soreness in his left lat.

Gast has been on the shelf since late May with the injury and is obviously not close to returning. The Cardinals had expected him to be out as long as two months, so it's not surprising that he's still sidelined. He should make it back before the end of the minor league season but seems unlikely to be a factor on the big league club.

John Gast has been diagnosed with a strained left lat.

The Cardinals were encouraged by the diagnosis. "The timetable is to be determined, but the good news is that it's not the shoulder or the elbow," general manager John Mozeliak said. "Hopefully, it's something that won't take too long. With a lat, it can be up to a month or a month and a half. We'll see." Michael Wacha is taking Gast's spot in the rotation.

John Gast will have his left shoulder examined by Dr. Lyndon Gross on Tuesday in St. Louis.

Gast was placed on the disabled list this weekend after suffering a left shoulder strain during his Saturday start against the Dodgers. The Cardinals are considering promoting Michael Wacha to take his rotation spot, which means Gast might head back to Triple-A Memphis once he's deemed fit to face live batters again.

Cardinals placed LHP John Gast on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder injury.

Gast left Saturday's start against the Dodgers in the second inning due to tightness in the shoulder. It's not clear at this point how long he'll be out, but it will likely be a while. The Cards are likely to call up Michael Wacha to replace him in the rotation.

John Gast left in the second inning of his start Saturday against the Dodgers due to left shoulder tightness.

Gast's velocity was down from the first pitch, so it's not surprising to find out that he was dealing with an injury. If he has to make a trip to the disabled list, reliever Joe Kelly or last year's first-round pick Michael Wacha could be options to replace him in the rotation.

John Gast held the Brewers to two runs over 5 1/3 innings Sunday in the Cardinals' 4-2 victory.

Gast is now 2-0 through his first two major league starts. The right-hander does not have dominant stuff, but he induced eight groundball outs and had good command of his changeup all afternoon. He is likely to take at least one more turn in the Cardinals' rotation while Jake Westbrook nurses a balky elbow.

John Gast will get another start on Sunday against the Brewers.

Gast fared pretty well in his major league debut Tuesday, as he would have given up just two runs over six innings if not for a botched rundown that preceded a two-run homer. The Cards are hopeful that Jake Westbrook (elbow) will be ready next week, so Gast's start Sunday could be his last with the big club.

John Gast allowed four earned runs over six innings but the Cardinals beat the Mets on Tuesday in St. Louis.

Gast was pitching a shutout through five innings before the Mets exploded for four runs in the sixth. It was the 24-year-old left-hander's major league debut and he struck out three batters while issuing only one walk, earning his first win. Gast could get one more turn in the Cardinals' rotation before Jake Westbrook (elbow) returns. He's not a great fantasy option.

Cardinals purchased the contract of LHP John Gast from Triple-A Memphis.

Gast will fill in for Jake Westbrook, who landed on the disabled list over the the weekend with right elbow inflammation. The 24-year-old was off to a nice start with the Redbirds, posting a 1.16 ERA and 35/13 K/BB ratio over 38 2/3 innings. He's worth a temporary look in NL-only leagues, especially with Tuesday's promising matchup against the weak-hitting Mets.