Injuries & Moves: Carlson rejoins club, set to be activated
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May 4: OF Dylan Carlson rejoins club, activation imminent
With rain threatening Triple-A Memphis’ games in Charlotte over the weekend, Carlson returned to St. Louis, and rejoined the team with activation likely coming by Sunday or Monday, manager Oliver Marmol said.
Carlson, who badly sprained his left shoulder following a hard fall on the warning track on March 25, has yet to play this season. Marmol said the center fielder’s work on Saturday would center on him taking fly balls, running the bases and “mimicking” batting cage swings from the right side of the plate against a left-handed pitcher. Because of the lack of lefties on the Charlotte roster, the switch-hitting Carlson has yet to get a right-handed at-bat during his Minor League rehab assignment.
In four games with Memphis, Carlson went 3-for-11 (.273) with a home run (from the left side of the plate) and three walks. Carlson was the Cardinals' most productive hitter in Spring Training and was slated to serve as the squad’s Opening Day center fielder prior to injuring his shoulder three days before the first regular season game.
May 4: RHP Keynan Middleton throws off mound, approaching rehab assignment
Middleton, one of the Cardinals' key free-agent signees in the offseason, threw off a mound on Saturday for the second straight day and felt no ill effects in his right forearm. Middleton said he is scheduled to throw off a mound on Tuesday and Friday of next week and then head to Double-A Springfield on a Minor League rehab assignment.
“He felt really good and came out of that ‘pen excited,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “It’s always good when a guy gets in the ‘pen and has to tone himself down. That’s a good sign. … Keep the progression and we’ll see where we’re at. A big piece of our offseason was getting him. He’s a really good arm and he’s super competitive, so you’re just adding another really good piece to what we have going on there.”
Middleton, 30, was 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA over 51 appearances last season with the White Sox and Yankees. After being traded to New York, he posted a 1.88 ERA over 12 appearances with the Yankees. In 50 2/3 innings last season, Middleton struck out 64 hitters compared to walking just 23. He last pitched in a Spring Training game on March 7
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
CF Dylan Carlson (sprained left AC joint)
Expected return: May 5-6
Carlson rejoined the club on May 4, and he is likely to be activated in the next few days.
Carlson, who was slated to be the Opening Day center fielder following a strong Spring Training, has been out since he collided with right fielder Jordan Walker on March 25 and fell hard onto his left shoulder. An MRI that night revealed a sprain to the AC joint in the shoulder. (Last updated: May 4)
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain)
Expected return: Mid/Late May
Middleton threw off a mound for the second time on May 3 and did not feel any ill effects. He plans to throw two more mound sessions, and then kick off a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield. (Last updated: May 4)
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain)
Expected return: Mid-May
Matz, who struggled in his most recent outing on April 30 and underwent an MRI on May 2, was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3 with a lower back strain.
Matz, who has been bothered by numerous injuries throughout his two-plus seasons with the Cardinals since signing a four-year, $44 million free-agent deal, is 1-2 with a 6.18 ERA in six starts this season. After pitching well against the Dodgers and Marlins to open the season, Matz is 0-2 with an 8.84 ERA over his past four starts. (Last updated: May 3)
DH/1B Matt Carpenter (right oblique strain)
Expected return: Early May
Manager Oliver Marmol said Carpenter was "feeling really good" after taking live batting practice on April 29. Carpenter will repeat the activity on April 30, and then Marmol said the club will "start to figure out" what a rehab assignment will look like for the 38-year-old.
Carpenter was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 2. (Last updated: April 29)
CF Tommy Edman (right wrist surgery)
Expected return: Late May
The switch-hitting Edman, who has yet to fully go through baseball activities after undergoing wrist surgery in October, has progressed to taking swings from both sides of a tee and has reported no issues. Because of previous pain and swelling, Edman had been limited to swinging from the left side.
Edman, who signed a two-year, $16 million contract extension in January to avoid salary arbitration proceedings, was shut down four times in Spring Training because of lingering pain and swelling in his wrist. Edman said he got second and third opinions from independent doctors during Spring Training, and he was assured that the wrist is structurally sound.
"This time around," manager Oliver Marmol said April 29, "he's been good and recovering really well." (Last updated: April 29)
RHP Riley O'Brien (right forearm strain)
Expected return: May
O’Brien underwent an MRI on his strained right forearm that revealed no structural damage, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said on April 1. “We’re in a good spot and [the injury] is what we thought,” Marmol said. “Nothing alarming and we’re glad that we shut it down when we did.”
O’Brien, 29, allowed one run in one inning against the Dodgers on March 28, but he reported tightness in his forearm to the team the next day while playing catch and was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31. (Last updated: April 1)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
LHP Drew Rom (left shoulder biceps tendinitis)
Expected return: TBD
Rom was scheduled to see a doctor on April 30, and he was moved to the 60-day IL earlier the same day.
“He just wasn’t making a whole lot of progress, so they wanted to take another look at it,” manager Oliver Marmol said.
Rom, who made his MLB debut with the Cardinals last season after coming over in a trade with the Orioles, was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25. The lefty injured his pitching arm during Spring Training. (Last updated: April 30)