Helsley was removed from Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies on Friday after he apparently aggravated his jammed right middle finger, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander suffered the injury during the penultimate game of the regular season Tuesday and was cleared after throwing a bullpen session Thursday, but he struggled with his command in Game 1 before being lifted. Helsley retired the first two batters he faced to end the eighth inning and keep the Cardinals ahead 2-0, but he came back out for the ninth and exited after he let in a run via a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. He ended up being charged with four earned runs as the bullpen behind him also struggled, and his availability for the rest of the series is now up in the air.