Heading into a new week of the MLB regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals still face challenges if they hope to stay in the postseason race. Alec Burleson’s walk-off home run—the first of his career—helped open their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with excitement, but St. Louis remains on the outside of the NL Wild Card picture.
The Cardinals are far behind in the NL Central, with the Milwaukee Brewers holding a commanding 17-game lead. That makes a division title nearly impossible, leaving the Wild Card as the more realistic path. The final spot, currently held by the New York Mets, is still within reach, though St. Louis trails by 5.5 games.
Before the Pirates series began on Monday, The Athletic’s Katie Woo provided updates on several injured key players. She reported that Brendan Donovan is hitting off a tee, Victor Scott II has resumed hitting and plans to add more running later this week, and Nolan Arenado has started a hitting program and will begin throwing soon. However, no return dates have been set for any of the three players.
Donovan has been sidelined since August 13 with a left groin strain. As the Cardinals’ lone All-Star this season, his return could provide a much-needed boost. He is targeting a comeback either later this week or early next week.
Scott’s injury came just days later, when he sprained his left ankle in an August 16 loss to the New York Yankees. His recovery is progressing, and he is expected to return before the end of the month.
Arenado has been out since before the MLB trade deadline with a right shoulder strain that placed him on the 10-day injured list at the start of August. The eight-time All-Star has not yet been given a timetable for his return. According to MLB.com’s Santos Perez, Arenado will likely need a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the Cardinals’ lineup.
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