Matt Holliday's treacherous appendix has proven to be the least popular internal organ in recent St. Louis Cardinals history—the most hated, I think, since Enos Slaughter had that especially racist tonsil removed—but injury watchers will notice a new wrinkle in the Holliday story as of yesterday, when the Cardinals decided semi-permanently not to put their star outfielder on the disabled list.
↵This is heartening inasmuch as the Cardinals don't think Matt Holliday will be gone any longer than two weeks, but there's always a part of me that distrusts the Cardinals' vague inclinations toward a player being nearly ready to come back. I'm reminded of Ryan Ludwick's injury-shattered 2009; of Troy Glaus and Brad Penny's constant, unclear setbacks; of obliques strained and restrained.
↵Removing an appendix is, in theory, at least, less of a guessing game than allowing an oblique strain to heal. But if Holliday's vacation extends very far past 15 days I'll begin to feel that familiar trembling, and the Cardinals' medical staff will begin to feel that familiar outright fan hostility. Get well soon.
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