Lower Back Strain Sidelines Guerrero

Pedro Guerrero, the St. Louis Cardinals’ team leader with 69 runs batted in and 40 extra-base hits, was admitted to a hospital Sunday with acute lower back strain.

The first baseman hurt his back while batting in Saturday night’s game against Houston, which the Astros won, 3-2, in 11 innings. He stayed in the game, but left in the ninth inning for a defensive replacement.

Guerrero was examined by Cardinal team physician Stan London and admitted to Jewish Hospital in St. Louis Sunday morning. London diagnosed the problem as acute lower back strain, but he did not know the severity of the injury.

A club spokesman said Guerrero would spend two or three days in the hospital undergoing tests.

Guerrero, a career .308 hitter, is batting .280 this season with 12 home runs. Since coming to St. Louis from the Dodgers in August of 1988, Guerrero has driven in 215 runs in 312 games.