Lance Berkman Says Cardinals Are Free To Move On With Allen Craig

St. Louis Cardinals veteran slugger Lance Berkman hasn't quite been himself since returning from knee surgery, and he knows it might be time for the team to move on and play youngster Allen Craig a bit more. Over the past week, Berkman has played less than usual and most of that has to do with his lack of performance at the plate. During the month of July, he owns a .182/.280/.273 triple-slash batting line and he has just four hits over 22 at-bats. The 36-year-old first baseman recently told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that anyone could "make the case that everybody but me deserves to play," and added that he would be okay if the team wants to move on:

"I think the development of young guys is fun to watch and I don't want to retard AC's (Allen Craig's) development in any way. He's certainly earned a place in the lineup."

"My career is complete as far as I'm concerned. Not that I wouldn't love to win another championship. Not that I wouldn't love to be out there every day and be productive. But if that is not the case, I'm not that upset about it. If they think AC gives them a better chance to win as a first baseman, I'm all for it. I'll do everything to help him."

Are those the words of a media-savvy veteran biding his time for a late-season surge, or a 13-year MLB veteran realizing he's on the decline and may never be himself at the plate again? It's a tough call.

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Lance Berkman Injury Update: Cardinals Slugger Poised For Saturday Return

The St. Louis Cardinals released some positive news on Friday, reporting that 1B Lance Berkman should be ready to return as soon as Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Berkman had "checked all the boxes" with respect to his physical state and now the manage just needs Berkman's okay:

"Ultimately, it's usually the player's call, especially a player with a lot of tenure," Matheny said.

Berkman was a key component to the Cardinals' 2011 World Series run, hitting 31 homers with an impressive .301/.412/.571 slash. So far in the 2012 season, however, injuries have limited him to just 49 plate appearances and a single home run.

When Berkman returns, the team figures to slot 1B Allen Craig back into his super utility role.

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Lance Berkman Injury: Remember When The St. Louis Cardinals Had Lance Berkman?

Lance Berkman Injury Troubles Appear Resolved; With Beltran, Craig Out, He'll Start Regularly

Lance Berkman's injury problems in 2012 have been weirdly obscure all the way through, from the month he missed with a lingering calf injury to the unexplained way he was scratched from a lineup against the Chicago Cubs. Wednesday night, though, in the St. Louis Cardinals' win over the San Francisco Giants, Berkman started at first base, went 0-4, and had nothing particularly weird happen. Which is important: With Carlos Beltran's lingering knee injury and Allen Craig's hamstring issue it looks like the Cardinals won't have nearly as many chances to rest Berkman as they'd hoped.

Good news for Berkman's fantasy owners, bad news for the team; aside from Matt Carpenter, who continues to back Berkman up admirably but will probably be needed in the outfield, the Cardinals now have precious little padding sitting between their starters at the corners and AAA Memphis, where Matt Adams, the nearest prospect to ready, is distinctly unable to play any position but first base.

More Cardinals news from SB Nation St. Louis:

• MLB rumor has it the Cardinals will be aggressive buyers as the trade deadline nears. That could be even more accurate if their star hitters continue to battle leg problems.
• Carlos Beltran's already missed three consecutive starts on an ostensibly precautionary basis.

Lance Berkman Scratched From Lineup, Reason Not Known

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Cardinals 1B Lance Berkman was scratched from the lineup on Tuesday, but the reason has not been made clear just yet:

Lance Berkman is not in the lineup. Last-minute scratch apparently. Will get updated info. Freese starts at 3B. Carpenter to 1B. #stlcards

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) May 15, 2012

Berkman missed 20 games earlier in the season with a calf strain that led to a 15-day DL trip. Despite the injury, Berkman has hit an impressive .344/.462/.500 slash while still awaiting his first home run of the season.

In Berkman's place, second-year backup 1B Matt Carpenter gets the start against the Chicago Cubs.

For more news and updates from around the MLB, drop by Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer, or dig deeper into the stats at Beyond the Box Score. Also, check out Viva El Birdos for more in-depth coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals.