Cardinals Slugger 'Eager To Return' After Reaching Milestone On Road To Recovery

St. Louis is hopeful for an imminent return

Aug 14, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) talks with manager Oliver Marmol (37) after suffering an injury while running the bases during the third inning against the Oakland Athletics at Busch Stadium. Wilson was removed from the game before the fourth inning. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals' season is coming to a close and after another lackluster season, the club will likely miss the playoffs for a second straight year.

Despite holding a National League Wild Card spot at the trade deadline, the Cardinals have fallen in the standings and it's likely too late to regain lost ground.

Nonetheless, St. Louis still has 17 games to play before the season ends. Fortunately, a vital piece of the Cardinals' offense could soon be back in the lineup.

"(Cardinals) catcher Willson Contreras (broken left middle finger) will be reevaluated on Monday and the club will then chart his path to a return, manager Oliver Marmol said," MLB.com's John Denton reported Thursday afternoon. "Contreras, who didn’t have surgery, has been out of the splint for the past week and is eager to return."

Contreras suffered his injury towards the end of Aug. after being hit in the hand by a pitch at the plate against the Minnesota Twins.

The 32-year-old's latest stint on the injured list is his second of the season. In May, he broke his left forearm and was sidelined for nearly two months.

The three-time All-Star has batted .262 with 32 extra-base hits including 15 home runs, 36 RBIs and a .848 OPS in 84 games played for the Cardinals this season.

At this point in the Cardinals season, Contreras's return doesn't mean much. Hopefully, he'll finish the year strong to return healthy and ready for 2025.

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