Cardinals Rising Star Takes Major Step Towards Return From Nagging Injury

St. Louis could start to get some important reinforcements back soon

Feb 14, 2024; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A detailed view of baseballs inside a bag during Houston / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals need reinforcements quickly.

St. Louis hasn't been at full strength for any game yet this season and still is missing some important pieces. The Cardinals fortunately will have ace Sonny Gray back on the mound Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, but there are other players still out.

The Cardinals currently still are missing Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar, and Dylan Carlson. The trio haven't appeared in a game yet this season and all are at different stages in their recovery. Nootbaar likely will be the first to return at some point this week.

Edman and Carlson both still have question marks. While this is the case, Edman took an important step in his recovery Monday as he was cleared to start swinging a bat, according to MLB.com's John Denton.

Cardinals (center fielder) Tommy Edman (wrist surgery) was cleared for swinging at balls on a tee -- both from the right side and left side -- manager Oli Marmol said," Denton said. "Edman has been shut down four times since having surgery last (October). He’s hoping to progress from tee to soft toss to pitching."

While this doesn't mean Edman will return to the field tomorrow, it is a positive sign that he is making progress in his recovery. It was expected that he would be the club's everyday center fielder to kick off the 2024 campaign so St. Louis certainly has missed him.

He likely still is at least a few weeks away from a return, but it sounds like he's making progress.

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