The St. Louis Cardinals may not have their starting center fielder at full strength for the next few weeks.
Cardinals utility man Tommy Edman is expected to be the club's starting center fielder this season but will have to wait a little bit of time until he's ready to go. The 28-year-old had offseason wrist surgery and is "several" weeks away from participating in full activities, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold.
"Edman rejoined workouts Tuesday after a brief stomach illness, though offseason wrist surgery could mean it is several more weeks before he is cleared to participate in full activities," Goold said. He continues to do one-handed swings to build strength and range of motion ahead of advancing from soft toss to batting practice to, ultimately, games.
"The Cardinals and their switch-hitting infielder believe the calendar has enough time for him to be ready for opening day. And if he is, they expect him to be in center field."
Edman is fresh off signing a new two-year deal with St. Louis. The young utility man found his name in trade rumors constantly over the last year but seemingly will be a part of the Cardinals' core for at least the short term.
The 28-year-old will play an important role with the Cardinals in 2024 and while it seems like he will be ready for Opening Day, his injury will be something to closely monitor moving forward.
Hopefully, Edman can return to the field as expected ahead of Opening Day.
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