St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese, famously injury-prone, has added a new area of concern—he'll miss two to three months after suffering a hand-fracture while being hit by a pitch against the Atlanta Braves. Freese's injury and some roster machinations caused Albert Pujols to end that game at third base, but that's... unlikely to be the Cardinals' long-term plan at the position—while Freese is gone free-agent acquisition Nick Punto and rookie Daniel Descalso, defensive specialists with deficient bats, are likely to get most of the playing time there.
Allen Craig was recalled from his rehab trip to replace Freese on the active roster. Craig plays third base but is unlikely to play much there for the time being, according to a report during Monday's Fox Sports Midwest broadcast. The Cardinals have long been skeptical of his arm and footwork, and he's on the roster ostensibly as a fourth outfielder and pinch-hitter.
David Freese, who's been injured every year of his Major League career, hit .296/.361/.404 last year in 70 games. In 2011 he was hitting .356 before the injury. He was acquired by the Cardinals during the 2007 offseason, traded from the San Diego Padres for Jim Edmonds.