I’m not sure they’re all worthy of separate entries, but there’s plenty of Cardinals news today:
- Albert Pujols is making his fourth start and fifth appearance at third base in Wednesday’s game against the Nationals. It may not mean a whole lot to some, but that fifth appearance gives him third-base eligibility in a lot of fantasy leagues, making the game’s No. 1 property even more valuable.
- Allen Craig, who had been doing excellent work before going on the DL on Sunday with a left knee contusion, was found to have a small fracture in his kneecap, likely putting him out through the All-Star break. Craig has hit .336/.405/.523 with 23 RBI in 107 at-bats this year, so it’s a substantial loss. Still, he wasn’t going to play quite so much anymore because...
- The Cardinals confirmed Wednesday that Matt Holliday would come off the disabled list on Thursday. He’s been out since June 1 with a left quad strain.
- The team also revealed that rookie setup man Eduardo Sanchez was sent home Wednesday for a shoulder examination. The hope is that he merely has some inflammation, leaving him day-to-day. Still, the Cards will want to be careful with the 22-year-old. Sanchez, who was briefly the team’s closer last month, has a 1.88 ERA in 28 2/3 innings.
- Finally, the team sent down third baseman Matt Carpenter today to make room for Kyle McClellan, who is coming off the DL to start against the Nationals. Carpenter was 1-for-15 during his brief stay.