ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley was placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday because of a strained right forearm.
St. Louis announced the move before Monday night's series opener against the San Francisco Giants and made it retroactive to Saturday. Right-hander Jake Woodford was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. He began the season in the rotation, then was shifted into a relief role.
Helsley, a 28-year-old right-hander, is 3-4 with a 3.24 ERA with seven saves in 11 chances. St. Louis has given closing opportunities to Giovanny Gallegos, who has five of the Cardinals' last seven saves. Gallegos has eight saves.
"It's part of the game sometimes. You have to get your guys healthy," St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. "He'll be down for a couple of days."
Marmol said closer Helsley felt tightness in his right forearm while playing catch before a 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Though imaging showed no structural damage, Marmol added that the reliever will be "no throw" for several days before beginning his road back.
Helsley was an All-Star in 2022 when he had a team-high 19 saves.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.