Yadier Molina was forced to exit Game 2 of the NLCS against the Giants last night due to an oblique injury, but Cardinals manager Mike Matheny confirmed this afternoon that he will remain on the team’s roster.
According to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com, Matheny said that he was surprised at how good Molina looked while playing catch today. The veteran backstop is not ready to swing a bat yet, so he’s falling into the vague category of “day-to-day” right now. Matheny didn’t rule out the possibility of using Molina for late-inning defense as soon as tomorrow.
It’s no surprise that the Cardinals would resist replacing Molina on the roster for the remainder of the NLCS, as it would make him ineligible to play if the team advances to the World Series. Oblique injuries are very tricky and often sideline players for several weeks, but the Cardinals are holding out hope for some rapid progress.
No official word yet on who will start behind the plate tomorrow, Matheny indicated that A.J. Pierzynski could get the call.