Gonzales almost ready for rehab starts
CHICAGO -- Lefty Marco Gonzales is wrapping up his rehab work at the Cardinals' facility in Jupiter, Fla., and is tentatively scheduled to make his first rehab start on Friday with high Class A Palm Beach, general manager John Mozeliak said on Monday.
Gonzales, who hasn't pitched since May 19 due to an impingement in his left shoulder, will throw about 35 to 40 pitches in that outing. He'll build up from there, with Mozeliak projecting that he could be an option for the Major League club as soon as three weeks from now. By the end of the month, Gonzales should have his arm built back up to throw 100-plus pitches in an outing.
Gonzales, the Cardinals' top-ranked pitching prospect per MLB Pipeline, spent the last several weeks allowing inflammation in his shoulder to subside and addressing areas of weakness through a strengthening program.
The way the next few weeks go for Gonzales will have an influence on the organization's potential non-waiver Trade Deadline pursuits. Mozeliak said that the upcoming performances from Tyler Lyons and Tim Cooney, as well as the status of Jaime Garcia, will also help clarify how serious a look the Cardinals will give to adding a starting pitcher before July 31.
"We have all these different variables, yet there is a lot of unknown," Mozeliak said. "As the calendar gets closer to the 31st, we should have some reasonable expectations of all four of those guys."
WORTH NOTING
• Luis Perdomo, a right-handed starter with low Class A Peoria, has been added to the World Team for the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. The Cardinals submitted Perdomo as a replacement for Alex Reyes, who won't be able to participate due to soreness in his right shoulder.
Reyes, the organization's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should be cleared to resume pitching within a week of the July 12 showcase game, Mozeliak said. Perdomo, 22, is 4-7 with a 2.79 ERA in 13 starts for Peoria.
• Matt Holliday, who was supposed to increase his running and agility work on Monday after dealing with flu-like symptoms, instead spent the day in the hotel. Manager Mike Matheny said the team wanted him quarantined to avoid having the illness spread through the clubhouse.
• Jon Jay (stress reaction in left wrist) returned to his home in Miami after the Cardinals prescribed him a week of rest. "Let's just see how he responds to that," Mozeliak said.
• Jordan Walden (inflammation in right biceps) threw a bullpen session at Busch Stadium on Monday. He's expected to throw two more this week, take a few days off over the All-Star break and then head out on a Minor League rehab assignment that Mozeliak said "could be pretty quick."
• Matt Belisle (inflammation in right elbow) traveled with the team to Chicago, but the Cardinals don't yet have a feel for whether he'll be ready to come off the DL when the All-Star break is over. Similarly, the club is going to see how the week goes for Garcia (strained left groin) before projecting when he might return.