SS Jhonny Peralta (left thumb) took grounders on Sunday as well as what were termed "controlled swings" by manager Mike Matheny. Peralta hasn't played this season after being injured early in spring training. The goal is for Peralta, the National League's All-Star starter last year, to be able to start a rehab assignment in three weeks.

SS Jhonny Peralta (left thumb) has started light fielding drills and is hoping to go out on a rehab assignment by May 21. The NL's All-Star starter at shortstop last year, Peralta was injured early in spring training and hasn't played yet this season. His presence has been missed most defensively, where St. Louis has been awful, committing a league-high 21 errors.

SS Jhonny Peralta (torn left thumb ligament) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, retroactive to April 1. He is expected to be out at least through the end of May and possibly as long as the end of June. Peralta was selected to the All-Star Game last season when .275 with 17 home runs in 155 games.

SS Jhonny Peralta (torn left thumb ligament) was placed on the 15-day DLSunday.

SS Jhonny Peralta underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb Thursday morning and will be out until midseason.Peralta injured his thumb in an exhibition game on Saturday. On Wednesday, Peralta received a second opinion confirming the opinion of team physicians, who recommended that the 33-year-old have surgery.Peralta, a three-time All-Star, will be in a cast for four to six weeks before beginning a rehab process that general manager John Mozeliak will take at least another month.

SS Jhonny Peralta was scheduled to travel to St. Louis on Tuesday to have the torn ligament in his left thumb looked at by a hand specialist. It is possible that Peralta will have surgery on this visit, which would keep him out for about 10 to 12 weeks. Peralta was injured Saturday when fielding a ground ball in the dirt.

SS Jhonny Peralta might miss up to three months after tearing a left thumb ligament Saturday.The Cardinals will proceed cautiously with the 33-year-old veteran, who batted .275 with 17 homers and 71 RBIs last season. He played in 155 games last year and 157 the season before.

Peralta is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader.

Peralta recorded a walk in two plate appearances in Game 1, but will be spelled by Greg Garcia in the night cap. Peralta is one of many regulars manager Mike Matheny is resting for the late afternoon contest.

Peralta is not in the lineup Saturday against the Braves.

That's now back-to-back games Peralta has been absent from the lineup as the Cardinals seem content saving their 33-year-old shortstop for the postseason. Greg Garcia will get the start in his place and hit second in the lineup against the Braves' righty Shelby Miller.

Peralta is not in the starting lineup Friday.

Peralta joins a handful of other Cardinals regulars who will get the night off Friday with St. Louis having already wrapped up the NL Central crown. Pete Kozma will get the start in his place and hit eighth in the lineup.

Peralta is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Peralta had started 11 straight games before Sunday, but it's likely just standard rest for the veteran. Greg Garcia will get the fill-in start at shortstop and bat seventh.

Peralta went 3-for-4 with a run scored in a 4-3 loss to the Brewers on Friday.

The shortstop has had a very nice season for the Cardinals, as he has 17 homers and 67 RBI to go along with a .274 average. Not many shortstops can give you the power numbers that Peralta does and that makes him one of the top options going into drafts next season.

Peralta went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer against the Brewers in Thursday's 6-3 victory.

The Cards were down 3-0 in this one, but Peralta erased that deficit with one big swing. The long ball was his first in quite some time, as he hadn't gone yard since homering in consecutive games July 31 and Aug. 1. Indeed, it's been a struggle for him as a whole since the All-Star break, but perhaps this is a sign that things are starting to take a turn for the better.

Peralta is out of the lineup for the second game in a row in Sunday's game against the Reds.

It might just be another day off for the 33-year-old, but we'll see later while Greg Garcia gets the start. It would be encouraging if he makes a pinch hit appearance in this game, but probably nothing to panic about yet.

Peralta is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Reds.

The veteran Peralta will get a day off with the Cardinals playing an early afternoon game Thursday. Greg Garcia will get the start at shortstop in Peralta's place.

Peralta is back in the lineup on Wednesday against the Cubs.

After a night off on Tuesday, Peralta is back in the lineup batting fourth and playing shortstop. The power-hitting shortstop is hitting .277 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI on the season.

Peralta is out of the lineup Sunday against the Giants.

Peralta will receive an off day Sunday, with Greg Garcia receiving the start at shortstop. He remains the everyday shortstop, however, so he should be back in the lineup within the next couple days.

Peralta went 3-for-4 in a 9-3 loss to the Padres on Saturday.

The power outage continues for Peralta as he had an OPS well above .800 prior to the All-Star break and has an OPS in the .650 range since. Even with that, he has elite numbers for a shortstop with a .284 average with 16 homers and 56 RBI.

Peralta is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.

After a huge first half, Peralta has cooled off considerably since the All-Star break, slashing just .228/.284/.356 with three homers and 10 RBI. He still has the starting shortstop on lock, but he could be rested with a little more frequency if he fails to make much improvement on his performance over the final few weeks of the season. Pete Kozma will cover shortstop for Peralta in Sunday's game.

Peralta is out of the lineup Thursday, Fox Sports Midwest's Jim Hayes reports.

The Cardinals' primary shortstop has eight hits and two home runs in his last six games, and Thursday's day game simply represents a day off. Greg Garcia will start at shortstop Thursday and hit eighth.