Great news here for the second-place Cardinals.
Injured catcher Yadier Molina told Jim Hayes of FOX Sports Midwest on Tuesday afternoon that he is hoping to be cleared to begin swinging a bat on Wednesday or Thursday. Molina has been catching bullpen sessions and taking light infield practice over the past week without experiencing any abnormal discomfort in his surgically-repaired right thumb.
Molina has been on the disabled list since tearing a ligament in his thumb on a slide into third base July 9. A.J. Pierzynski and Tony Cruz have been filling in at catcher for the Cardinals, who are 2 1/2 games back of the Brewers in the National League Central standings. St. Louis has a pretty firm grip on the top National League Wild Card spot here in mid-August.
Molina, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner and six-time National League All-Star, appears to be progressing toward an early-September return. Young starter Michael Wacha (shoulder) isn’t too far behind him.
