Cardinals confident Molina will return in time for Opening Day
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina underwent a second operation on his left thumb Tuesday after the first surgery from two months prior proved to be ineffective.
With the second surgery being completed in December, Molina will likely miss the most, if not all of spring training. However, the Cardinals are optimistic that the Gold Glove catcher will return in time for the start of the regular season.
"I think by the end of January, the cast should be off and then he'll begin his strengthening exercises throughout the month of February and March," general manager John Mozeliak said according to MLB.com. "The biggest question will be: When will he swing a bat? They don't feel like any of this should affect how he catches or when he can catch, but to have him ready by Opening Day, [swinging] will really be the test."
Molina was thought to soon be cleared to resume baseball activities to prepare for the upcoming season, but after the catcher informed the team’s medical staff he had been feeling thumb discomfort. In a MRI, it was found his damaged ligament’s elasticity was back to where it was immediately following the first surgery on Sept. 20.
The injury was originally sustained in a September regular season game against the Chicago Cubs when Molina made a tag play on Anthony Rizzo at home plate. He missed the final two weeks of the regular season, and attempted a comeback in the postseason, only to end up being shelved for the remainder of the Cardinals’ NLDS loss to the Cubs.
With Molina likely to miss the entirety of spring training, the Cardinals will be missing out on one of the team’s greatest pieces of the pitching staff having the time to work with the St. Louis rotation. In Molina’s place, the Cardinals are expecting veteran backup Brayan Pena, who signed a two-year contract with St. Louis, to assume the responsibilities of starting catching in the perennial All-Star’s absence.
"We'll sort of exhaust what's out there still," Mozeliak said. "We just have to be vigilant on how we look at this between now and Spring Training."
