St. Louis Cardinals Gold Glover Tommy Edman is nearing his return and season debut after having offseason wrist surgery last October. He will return to a crowded outfield with the potential to fill a major hole in the roster. He will be the latest in a string of key players to return from the IL over the course of about a month.
Cardinals’ Tommy Edman Nearing Return
Wrist surgery after the season has kept Edman from any game action since 2023. He started his rehab assignment on Tuesday with the Cardinals Double-A affiliate in Springfield, MO. He will play both infield and outfield positions during his rehab, which the organization expects to last a couple of weeks.
Tommy Edman’s first hit of the 2024 season comes in Springfield: an RBI knock through the left side in his first rehab game. pic.twitter.com/uAVrJdR0nb
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 10, 2024
“Now it’s going to be to ramp him up, get him to game speed,” said Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak on Sunday to KMOX radio. “We have to be patient; we also have to treat it like he needs a mini–Spring Training. As much as you can replicate some things, the one thing you can’t do is game action or live BP.”
Mozeliak said he expects Edman back after the All-Star Break and sometime in July. In Edman’s first game with Springfield, he went 1-for-3 with an RBI single.
Cardinals Need a Right-Handed Bat
The Cardinals have had several unexpected standouts in their outfield this season. Alec Burleson has proven to be one of the best bats in the league since taking over a starting role. Michael Siani has played passable offense with some of the best defense in the league. Brendan Donovan has delivered in the clutch and put up decent numbers.
Despite that, there is a glaring hole in their outfield rotation: there is only one player who can give a right-handed at-bat, Dylan Carlson. He has given the least to be excited about this season of the five outfielders on the roster. Carlson is a switch hitter, while Burleson, Sianni, Donovan, and the recently activated Lars Nootbaar are all lefties. Edman would be the Cardinals’ best option as a right-handed batter.
The organization expected former top prospect Jordan Walker to be a key right-handed bat in the outfield, but his struggles to start the season have put him in Triple-A. The Cardinals are 32-33 against right-handed starting pitchers and 16-11 against left-handed. Against righties, the Cardinals have the sixth-highest batting average in the MLB at .252. Against lefties, they have the second-worst at .223.
Edman is a switch hitter whose numbers are fairly even when batting left or right. He batted .248 against right-handed pitching in 2023. Over his career, he bats .261 against righties.
Latest in a String of Returning Starters
If Edman returns after the All-Star break as expected, he will be the third presumed starter to come off the IL in about a month. First, it was catcher Willson Contreras, then Nootbaar. Mozeliak said it changes the complexion of the offense.
“From that standpoint, the everyday club is going to change from what it’s looked like the past few months,” Mozeliak said on Sunday.
While it does complicate things from a lineup standpoint, it’s also exciting for a Cardinals team that is surging. An excited manager Oliver Marmol told reporters he was excited about the team getting healthier ahead of Nootbaar’s return.
“It’s exciting to have him back,” Marmol said. “Team is playing well, anytime you can inject a good player into a team that is doing well, that’s a good thing. So, we’re excited about it.”
Photo Credit: © Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
