Spring training injuries are always put under a microscope. The St. Louis Cardinals are a team that needs to rely on their health this season if they don’t want a repeat of their disastrous 2023 campaign. Manager Oliver Marmol gave some updates on several injured Cardinals players on Thursday.
Tommy Edman is expected to start the season on the injured list as he deals with wrist inflammation. Marmol said he’ll be shut down for at least another week, per John Denton.
“Tommy will be a minimum of a week with no hitting,” Marmol said, via Denton. “He can still do some defensive stuff, and he can throw, but the hitting is what’s causing some of the pain. We’re going to allow that to completely go away before we restart any work.”
Edman had a .705 OPS in 137 games last season. He has stolen an average of 30 bases and scored 85 runs per season over the last three years. He also won a Gold Glove Award in 2021 for his work at second base.
He has a frustrating injury that may not completely go away over time. It sounds like mostly a pain tolerance thing but any time without Edman is a tough time for the Cardinals.
Nootbaar on the mend
Tommy Edman isn’t the only Cardinals position player who is dealing with an injury at the moment. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar has rib fractures and hasn’t played since March 2.
Nootbaar is a player the Cardinals believe can turn into a perennial All-Star but he of course has to be on the field for that to become a reality. Marmol said he is unsure when Nootbaar can return to the lineup. He’ll be reevaluated by doctors on Saturday and is also a candidate to start the season on the injured list.
“When he’s able to resume swings and starts doing that, we’ll have a much better timeline,” Marmol said. “(The pain is) as tolerated. So it’s hard to say (as to a return.)”
The Cardinals want to show their 91-loss season in 2023 was a fluke and that they can get back to the postseason. Health will play a huge factor in that and for now, it sounds like St. Louis will have a bit of a battle on its hands to start the season.
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