Lance Berkman's injury problems in 2012 have been weirdly obscure all the way through, from the month he missed with a lingering calf injury to the unexplained way he was scratched from a lineup against the Chicago Cubs. Wednesday night, though, in the St. Louis Cardinals' win over the San Francisco Giants, Berkman started at first base, went 0-4, and had nothing particularly weird happen. Which is important: With Carlos Beltran's lingering knee injury and Allen Craig's hamstring issue it looks like the Cardinals won't have nearly as many chances to rest Berkman as they'd hoped.
Good news for Berkman's fantasy owners, bad news for the team; aside from Matt Carpenter, who continues to back Berkman up admirably but will probably be needed in the outfield, the Cardinals now have precious little padding sitting between their starters at the corners and AAA Memphis, where Matt Adams, the nearest prospect to ready, is distinctly unable to play any position but first base.
More Cardinals news from SB Nation St. Louis:
- MLB rumor has it the Cardinals will be aggressive buyers as the trade deadline nears. That could be even more accurate if their star hitters continue to battle leg problems.
- Carlos Beltran's already missed three consecutive starts on an ostensibly precautionary basis.