CHICAGO (AP) – The St. Louis Cardinals have signed veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski, 37, was in the starting lineup and batting sixth for the Cardinals’ afternoon matchup against the Chicago Cubs. Catcher George Kottaras was designated for assignment to make room on the roster.

The Cardinals have been looking for a steady presence behind the plate since All-Star Yadier Molina went down with a torn ligament in his right thumb on July 9. Molina underwent surgery on July 11 and is expected to miss 8-12 weeks.

The left-handed hitting Pierzynski played 72 games this year with the Boston Red Sox, hitting .254 with four home runs before being released on July 16. He has a career average of .282 over 17 seasons with six teams.