Carlos Beltran injected with Toradol before Game 2

After suffering a right rib contusion in Game 1, Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran received a Toradol injection prior to Game 2.

by Matt Sullivan

Oct 25, 2013, 5:04 AM UTC

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY

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Following the Cardinals' 4-2 win over the Red Sox, right fielder Carlos Beltran told reporters he received an injection of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Toradol to help him managed the pain in his bruised rib cage.

Recap: Game 2: Cardinals 4, Red Sox 2

In response to a question about how he felt physically during the game, Beltran told reporters:

“Tomorrow I know for sure I’m going to wake up feeling sore. Basically they gave me an injection to kind of block the pain for five hours or six hours. I know for sure tomorrow I’m going to feel sore. The good thing is tomorrow I have the day off, and I’ve got the opportunity to get treatment, and hopefully Saturday I feel better than what I feel today.”

He then named Toradol as the injection he was given.

Beltran suffered a contusion on the right side of his rib cage during the second inning of Game 1 when he collided with the right field wall while robbing David Ortiz of a grand slam. Beltran exited that game in the next half inning and was taken to the hospital. Beltran was listed as day-to-day with the injury, but he returned to the field for Game 2, playing right and batting second for St. Louis. Beltran went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Thursday night.

Toradol is a commonly used anti-inflammatory among major leaguers, according to Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. It is typically used by pitchers dealing with sore arms. The Cardinals' World Series opponents, the Boston Red Sox, reviewed their use of the drug prior to the start of the 2013 season after it was seen as a possible cause of the esophagus inflammation that sidelined Clay Buchholz for 20 days in 2012, according to Edes. He also notes that Toradol was the subject of a 2011 law suit against the NFL, where "teams repeatedly and indiscriminately administered the drug before and during games, thus worsening injuries such as concussions." Since that report came out, there has been no word on the results of that review.