Cardinals place pitcher Jake Westbrook on DL with back strain

Cardinals pitcher Jake Westbrook is on the DL again, this time with a lower back strain. (Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) The St. Louis Cardinals placed pitcher

Cardinals pitcher Jake Westbrook is on the DL again, this time with a lower back strain. (Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals placed pitcher Jake Westbrook on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain, the team announced.

The move is retroactive to Aug. 22. Westbrook is 7-8 this season with a 4.49 ERA in 19 appearances.

In Westbrook's last start, against the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 21, he failed to make it out of the fifth inning, giving up nine hits and five earned runs in 4.2 innings.

Westbrook has a 5.97 ERA in 13 games since returning from the disabled list earlier this year for elbow problems. He has allowed 26 runs in 21 innings so far in August.

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