Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina expected to miss 8-12 weeks

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will miss eight to 12 weeks with a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina will miss eight to 12 weeks with a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. 

Molina has torn ligament. And out 8 to 12 weeks

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 10, 2014

Molina left Wednesday night's game against the Pirates. Molina, 31, had appeared in 83 games and was hitting .287 in 303 at-bats. He was set to start in next week's All-Star Game in Minnesota.

With Molina out, the Cardinals will rely on catching duo Tony Cruz and Audry Perez. Cruz has hit .233 and has been Molina's backup since 2012. 

- Jessica Pifalo