Meltdown on the mound

~ Cards think physical problems resulted in mechanical breakdowns.

ST. LOUIS -- This was supposed to be the season that set up Mark Mulder for a big payday.

Instead, the winningest pitcher in the major leagues the last five seasons and the free agent to be is on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury and a 6.09 ERA. The St. Louis Cardinals are unsure when Mulder will return, but it could be after the All-Star break.

Mulder, a 16-game winner last year in his first season with St. Louis, has been on the DL since Thursday, a day after giving up nine runs in 2 1/3 innings against the White Sox. He won't attempt to throw again at least until the weekend, when team orthopedic consultant Dr. George Paletta will examine him.

"We'll hope for shorter rather than longer," manager Tony La Russa said. "Whatever it takes."

Mulder has 94 wins since 2001, and he was 5-1 with a 3.69 ERA after throwing 8 1/3 scoreless innings against the Mets on May 17. All but one of his last five starts since then have been disasters, with a 13.50 ERA over that span.

The team finally diagnosed rotator cuff irritation and impingement in his left shoulder after putting him on the DL and ordering an MRI exam. It's unclear how long the injury affected his pitching.

"I haven't had a very good arm slot for a while," Mulder said. "So when it started, I have no idea."

Trainer Barry Weinberg said during his struggles, Mulder complained about dissatisfaction with his mechanics, not pain. Afterward, Mulder admitted that he was unable to reach his optimum arm slot, and as a result often pushed the ball toward the plate rather than coming over the top.

"It's not a painful thing, no," Mulder said. "I couldn't get my arm in the right position, so we'll rehab it and see if that's what I can do."

Backup catcher Gary Bennett was behind the plate for two of Mulder's last three outings, including the game against the White Sox. Whenever he went out to the mound, he'd remind Mulder to keep his arm up and he said the big left-hander would respond: "I know, I know."

"I said, 'I know you know, I'm just reminding you,"' Bennett said. "He wasn't getting the same action on the ball. He was having a tough time repeating his mechanics."

In any case, the diagnosis brought no sense of relief.

"You're never relieved," Mulder said. "But I know what's going on now, and we'll try to fix it and get back."

Before his latest stretch, Mulder had appeared poised for a major payday. A.J. Burnett, pursued by the Cardinals last winter, signed a five-year, $55 million free-agent deal with the Blue Jays and he entered the year one game below .500 for his career.

Mulder, 28, is in the final season of a two-year deal that pays him a total of $12.25 million, and up to now he's been a consistent winner. Since 2001, his lowest victory total came in a 15-9 season with the Athletics in 2003.

The team believes that rest and rehabilitation will correct the problem. By the weekend, it will be 10 days and perhaps he can resume throwing.

"I would hope so," Mulder said. "We'll see after this week, maybe next week, and we'll see how long it takes."

The wait could just as easily be longer. For now, there's no timetable.

"If we're not satisfied, we'll hold off," Weinberg said. "It's not set in stone. It's just a stage."