Predicting the end of Lance Berkman injury watch has become an almost-impossible game to play—even Lance Berkman is terrible at it, having most recently assumed that his calf problem would be a thing of the past back on Friday. As it turned out, it wasn't, and Berkman, who's played only seven games all season, was held back again due to a calf injury that's gone from a nagging concern to a month-long absence ever since Berk ran out the costliest triple of the season.
Jenifer Langosch reported Saturday that the Cardinals could see Berkman's return as soon as Sunday, for their series finale against the Atlanta Braves. It's hard to be optimistic about that date's accuracy, at this point, but the same depth that's going to allow them to ease him back into the lineup in the first place—I wouldn't expect him to see much time against left-handed pitchers for a while, with Allen Craig on the roster—has made their time without Berkman run relatively smooth, so it's unlikely the Cardinals will rush him before he's ready. After all, their OPS at first base is already over .950.