St. Louis activated left fielder Matt Holliday today just as the team had hoped.
However, I don’t think they were looking to replace the slugger on the DL with another important player.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals they did just that Thursday, as late-inning reliever Eduardo Sanchez was placed on the 15 day disabled list with a mild shoulder strain.
Sanchez first experienced discomfort after his last appearance Sunday against the Brewers. The team reported that during the contest the right hander’s velocity had noticeably dropped.
The 22 year old has been one of the few bright spots in 2011 for an overall disappointing St. Louis pen. Sanchez has logged 28.2 innings over 25 appearances with the club, holding an ERA of 1.88 along with his WHIP of 1.05. He leads the team in holds with 7 and has even saved 5 games.
On a more positive note, the team does get back Holliday who’s been one of the Cardinals most productive offensive players this season. He’s been bothered by a strained left quad, but made it clear earlier in the week that he would be ready to come off of the DL Thursday.
On the season, Holliday’s managed a line of .342/.433/.542 with 6 homers and 13 doubles.