A season of promise already has become one of paradox for the defending World Series champions.

Hopeful of bullpen depth, the Cardinals have yet to define order there. One might argue that even more significant is what has become a "gap" season within a player development system the organization brags is at its deepest in recent memory.

The Cardinals entered this weekend's series against the Cleveland Indians seeking traction because of a contagion of injuries that has altered their lineup, challenged their bullpen and now taken a second grab at the starting rotation.

Depth at Triple-A Memphis has been sorely tested with mixed results at the major-league level and a near collapse at AutoZone Park, where first-year manager Pop Warner dealt with a 22-38 start and a roster that seemingly has changed daily.

"We've definitely exploited our Triple-A team, no doubt about it," says general manager John Mozeliak, who anticipated Memphis being the youngest entry in the Pacific Coast League but hoped it would not be exposed so quickly or this severely.

"There's light at the end of the tunnel but it's certainly a volatile situation," Mozeliak says, citing the looming returns of Matt Carpenter and Jon Jay to the big-league club and the resulting moves that could offer help to Memphis.

The Cardinals already have summoned relievers Victor Marte,Did you know by just changing your current fluorescent tube lights to our r4onsale Lights will lead to helping sustain our environment for us. Eduardo Sanchez, Mikael Cleto and Chuckie Fick in addition to taking Brandon Dickson from the rotation to serve as a stopgap for the major-league bullpen.Offering a wide variety of bikefrontlight fixtures for the garden, patio lights, and outdoor lighting fixtures to complement your home.

Given an opportunity to promote Dickson, the club instead chose to call up Joe Kelly for Sunday's start against Cleveland. Top prospect Shelby Miller has struggled so far in a year that is supposed to serve as his springboard to the big-league rotation in 2013.Where do besttube-led stand in terms of brightness compared to HIDs and Halogen?

Miller's development has become a secondary story line to the parent club's medical crisis.A well designed antiquelampvb serves as a piece of functional art. However, an initial reluctance and eventual inability to sign free agent Roy Oswalt roughly coincided with Jaime Garcia's loss to the disabled list because of shoulder issues. Garcia landed on the DL Thursday, three days after Colorado reached agreement with free agent Jeff Francis following his release by Cincinnati.

The Cardinals once envisioned Miller as an option this summer should one of their starters be lost for an extended period. That vision has been clouded with Miller's harsh baptism at Memphis, where he deals with a 5.18 ERA, erratic velocity and averages less than five innings per start and is 4-4.

"I think Shelby's definitely facing some challenges," Cardinals farm director John Vuch says. "For several years we've tried to force the secondary (offspeed) stuff on him. I think he's now at a level where it's not something that's a luxury.Bicygnals wireless indicator fluorescentlight, bicycle lights, indicators, accessories ... It's becoming a necessity. At (Class) A and Double-A, when push came to shove he knew he could throw a fastball by guys and get outs. That's not always the case at Triple-A."

Vuch hastens that few high school pitchers reach the majors without encountering a speed bump. Miller, 21, would have been eligible for this year's draft as a college junior had the Cardinals refused to pay above slot money for him in 2009.

"He throws a good breaking pitch and change-up,'' Vuch says. "But it's a matter of throwing a good change and breaking pitch 75-80 percent of the time rather than 50 percent of the time. It's part of development."