Reinforcements Reportedly On Way For Cardinals As Club Looks To Get Back On Track

The Cardinals slowly are starting to get healthy

The St. Louis Cardinals should have one of their starting outfielders back on the field in the near future. 

St. Louis has struggled so far this season on the field but also injury-wise. The Cardinals have been without the services of starting center fielder Dylan Carlson since May 14 after suffering an ankle injury, but it sounds like he will be back on the field shortly. Carlson reportedly will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday night with the Triple-A Memphis RedBirds, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo. 

"Dylan Carlson is set to begin a rehab assignment today and will play five innings," Woo said. "The plan is for him to play in several games with recovery being the biggest focal point."

Carlson's eventual return to the lineup will both help St. Louis, and also add another logjam into the club's outfield. The Cardinals have had a surplus of outfielders all season to this point, but have been bitten by the injury bug as well. St. Louis currently is in last place in the National League at 25-36 and with the trade deadline quickly approaching, there's no way for sure to know what the club will do to handle it. 

St. Louis has said that it will be buyers ahead of the trade deadline, but if the club continues to spiral, it may end up being sellers. Carlson's return to the lineup will not only help on the field but may also make it easier for the club to make a trade ahead of the deadline. Outfielder Tyler O'Neill has been in trade rumors all seasons, but other outfielders like Alec Burleson and Juan Yepez also have been mentioned as well. 

Hopefully, Carlson's rehab assignment goes well and he's able to return to the field at Busch Stadium shortly. 

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