St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright was on the field playing catch before Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but don’t schedule him in to start a game this season just yet.
“Well I still believe he’s more like next year,” said General Manager John Mozeliak. “He’s progressing well and he certainly has some level of optimism.”
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That optimism from Wainwright has been consistent, even if only as a motivational factor for his rehab.
“Yeah, but I think we still have to be smart about that,” said Mozeliak about the optimism becoming a realty. “No one from the medical world has told me that’s a great idea at this point.”
While the return of Wainwright in 2015 remains slim, there is a growing chance that Matt Adams, who has been cleared to swing the bat, could be in a position to contribute.
“Still not at that point where he can run at full throttle but making progress and still hopeful that he’s someone we can get out on a rehab assignment before the minor leagues shut down,” said Mozeliak, who acknowledged the team may have slightly altered their approach with the first baseman after Matt Holliday re-injured his own quad strain upon return.
“Maybe being a little more patient after Matt’s re-injury but I still think in Adam’s case, it was different. He had surgery. As of now, his repair seems to be very strong so I don’t think there’s any reason for hesitation. The other fact is, we can be patient.”
Mozeliak said patience is also still required in regards to Holliday, who does not have an estimated time of return.
–Jon Jay is swinging a bat off the tee and if things go well, will then progress to soft toss before moving to live batting practice. He is a minimum of a couple of weeks away.
–Jordan Walden is “still at a point where he doesn’t have the confidence or strength to push it” according to Mozeliak. The team will continue to re-evaluate the reliever, who received a second opinion last week. Surgery is an option, but Mozeliak indicated Walden was still confident he could fully recover through rehab.
–Matt Belisle has been cleared to resume throwing, but is still a good ways from being ready for a return.
photo credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
