"The Cardinals initially projected Rick Ankiel's return from the disabled list for Monday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.

After activating him a day earlier for the series finale against the Kansas City Royals, the Cardinals and their outfielder again find themselves in limbo.

Manager Tony La Russa held Ankiel out of Monday's lineup and afterward admitted Ankiel's sore right shoulder made him unavailable for the 1-0, 10-inning loss. La Russa expressed optimism before the game about Ankiel's availability today against Jeff Suppan. However, after speaking with head athletic trainer Barry Weinberg immediately after Monday's loss, general manager John Mozeliak said "there's hope for Friday, maybe sooner.""