The Cardinals have held up at third base better than in the rotation, thanks to the presence of super-utility infielder Felipe Lopez, but with Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan still struggling in the middle infield, third baseman David Freese's imminent return is still a major boon for a team that needs one.
↵Which is why... which is why... oh, just tell me, already, Leach:
↵↵↵According to manager Tony La Russa, Freese was working out in the gym when he dropped a plate on his toe.
↵The toe injury might not affect the timetable for Freese's return, which was not expected until late July, at the earliest, with the ankle injury.
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Seriously? Every so often I look at certain baseball players—Ichiro, for instance—and wonder how it's possible that an athlete can be so skilled, so coordinated, so grateful. Freese may be able to hit a ball the other way like few other rookies, but I will never wonder how it's possible to be so skilled, so coordinated, so grateful as a man who gets into single-car accidents and drops weights on his big toe.