An MRI revealed a slight tear in the left thumb of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, according to general manager John Mozeliak:
Mozeliak, "Molina has a slight torn ligament in his left thumb. We're optimistic he'll return this regular season." pic.twitter.com/Fzji6y9och
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 21, 2015
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the team plans to evaluate him again in a week to decide whether he can come back at some point this season.
Molina sprained the thumb while applying a tag to Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo during the eighth inning of Sunday’s game between the NL Central division rivals. Rizzo was attempting to score on a sacrifice fly. The injury forced the seven-time All-Star to leave the game, after which the team announced he would undergo further tests on Monday.
The 12-year backstop currently owns a .270/.310/.350 slash line with four home runs and 61 RBI through 136 games. It’s his weakest season with the bat in a good while: his .660 OPS is the lowest in his career since he posted a .595 mark in 129 games in 2006.
Despite his declining offensive numbers, the 33-year-old Molina remains one of the finest defensive catchers in the game. He has successfully thrown out 41% of attempted base stealers this season, well above the league average rate of 28%.
The Cards sport the best record in the league at 93-56 and also hold the distinction of being the first club to clinch a playoff spot this year. Losing Molina’s sure glove behind the plate and his veteran leadership would be a significant blow, however. St. Louis will keep its fingers crossed that his next examination brings positive news.
In the meantime, fifth-year backstop Tony Cruz will presumably handle the starting job until Molina is able to return.