Colby Rasmus pinch-hit for the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday night after missing three consecutive games with abdominal pain, and in his post-game remarks manager Tony La Russa suggested Rasmus would have been available, in a closer game, for work as a defensive replacement. He's no guarantee to play Thursday's day-game against the Astros at home, but La Russa thinks he's likely to be back in the lineup by the team's interleague debut against the Kansas City Royals over the weekend; most of the more dangerous explanations for Rasmus's discomfort appear to have been ruled out by now.
Rasmus, who worked a 3-2 count before grounding out in his ninth-inning appearance Wednesday, is hitting .305/.393/.461 for the Cardinals, with three triples to go with three home runs and 15 RBI. The Cardinals could use his bat and his glove, with both Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman hurting after Wednesday's game against the Astros, but Jon Jay's great work in Rasmus's stead has stabilized an outfield that has threatened, of late, to be in flux.