Mark Mulder has rotator cuff strain

5/7/2008 5:47 PM

DENVER (AP) -Cardinals starter Mark Mulder has a mild rotator cuff strain in his left shoulder, causing St. Louis to stop his injury rehabilitation assignment.

Mulder, coming back from two shoulder operations, was evaluated Wednesday in St. Louis by team physician Dr. George Paletta. The Cardinals plan to rest Mulder for a week to 10 days before reevaluating him.

``It's the right thing. It makes no sense to rush him back and have him get hurt again. We went through this last year,'' Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

``He's a premier pitcher, one of the premier pitchers in the game and he needs to get it right. This is the best for him and the better for us that he's been taken off the rehab assignment.''

Mulder made five starts during his rehab assignment, most recently on Monday for Triple-A Memphis. He is 2-2 with a 6.66 ERA.