St. Louis Cardinals star catcher Yadier Molina had thumb surgery on Oct. 15 to repair a partially torn ligament originally suffered on Sept. 20 against the Chicago Cubs. He has returned to action, but his status for Opening Day is unknown.
Continue for updates.
Molina to Play vs. Marlins
Wednesday, March 9
Mark Saxon of ESPN reported Molina will catch but won’t hit Wednesday versus Miami. Saxon added Molina hasn’t taken live batting practice, but he “appears likely to be ready for Opening Day.”
Molina Remains Among Baseball’s Elite Catchers
Despite the recent health trouble, Molina has managed to remain among the best at his position in all of baseball.
The seven-time All-Star entered 2016 with a .283 career batting average but is even more renowned for his tremendous defense, which has earned him eight straight Gold Glove awards. He is absolutely irreplaceable behind the plate.
St. Louis did well in the offseason to upgrade its depth behind Molina by acquiring Brayan Pena with a two-year contract through free agency. The prior Cincinnati Reds backstop figures to fill in until Molina fully recovers and is a switch-hitter who brings an interesting twist to the Cardinals lineup.
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