ST. LOUIS (AP) -The St. Louis Cardinals hope to activate center fielder Rick Ankiel from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, but first he’ll have to show them he’s ready.
Ankiel bruised his right shoulder when he crashed headfirst into an outfield wall, and has been playing in extended spring training. Manager Tony La Russa needs Ankiel back to bolster his sagging team, but said he wanted to see him on the field first.
“We’re going to take a look at him, work him out and see how he feels,” La Russa said. “We’ll make a judgment based on what we see.”
The Cardinals entered Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs having lost seven of nine. Ankiel is batting .247 with two homers and 11 RBIs, picking it up at the plate before the injury. La Russa said there’s nothing in particular he needs to see from Ankiel, just that he’s ready.
“The whole thing,” the manager said. “He had a lot of places that were sore.”
Whenever he returns, La Russa isn’t worried about Ankiel playing tentative, saying “Not him.”
nder Chris Carpenter, sidelined since April 14 with a strained left rib cage muscle, is expected to start Wednesday’s game against the Cubs. La Russa doesn’t want to get too excited or put too much pressure on the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner.
“Chris is really important to us,” La Russa said, “but you don’t want to have our club and him believe he’s the total answer because that’s unfair.”
Carpenter said Tuesday he’s had no setbacks in his rehab.
“It’s all come pretty quick, but I feel good and my throws have been good,” Carpenter said. “So I’m excited.”
Carpenter was hurt swinging the bat, but said he won’t be timid at the plate. He’s 1-0 and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 10 innings over two starts.
“I’m not out there trying to hit home runs,” he said, “but I’m not going to not swing the bat either and let the opposing team know they can throw three fastballs down the middle and I’m out.”
Third baseman David Freese underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle from an injury sustained in a winter automobile accident.
Freese, a St. Louis native, made the opening-day roster for the first time and hit .158 in 19 at-bats. He was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on April 20 after the Cardinals acquired reliever Blaine Boyer and decided to go with 13 pitchers during a 20-game stretch without a day off.
k and no timetable has been set for his return.
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