Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta could miss 2-3 months with thumb injury

Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta could miss 2-3 months after tearing a a ligament in his left thumb, as first reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

With Peralta out, the Cardinals could look to use new acquisition Jedd Gyorko at shortstop, with Kolten Wong exclusively playing second base for the first half of the season. The list of free-agent shortstops is a weak one at this late stage in the market, with Alberto Callaspo, Jonathan Herrera and Dan Uggla representing the available options.

Peralta, 33, is set to earn $12.5 million in his third season with the Cardinals and hit .275/.334/.411 with 17 home runs for the team last season. His absence will be especially difficult for a team that is expected to lose some offensive production in the wake of Jason Heyward's departure for the Cubs.

Peralta will travel from Florida to St. Louis for a second opinion on the thumb, which will provide a final verdict on how long he will miss. Regardless, the loss of Peralta is a significant one for the Cardinals at this early stage of spring training.