During John Mozeliak’s last season as baseball operations president, the St. Louis Cardinals (72–73) have had a wild season and seem destined to miss the postseason.
The organization’s reliance on a youth movement raises questions about Nolan Arenado’s future after 2025.
When available this season, the 34-year-old veteran struggled, and many people think that given his age, his dramatic downturn may be a portent of things to come.
Arenado’s batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS during 96 games were.235,.294 and.660, respectively. This was a significant decline from his 2021–2023 run in St. Louis, which featured two Gold Glove Awards, three consecutive All-Star appearances, and a third-place finish in the 2022 NL MVP vote.
Nolan Arenado Injury Update
Arenado hasn’t played in a game since July 30 due to right shoulder soreness that prevented him from playing well as of Monday.
Arenado has been recovering at the Cardinals’ spring training facilities ever since. Batting practice is the last obstacle he must overcome after obtaining medical clearance before starting a rehabilitation assignment.
Arenado is anticipated to play his first rehab game on Wednesday and return to the Cardinals’ major league roster for the series opening against the Cincinnati Reds the following week, if all goes according to plan.
“On Tuesday, Brendan Donovan will start a rehabilitation assignment with @Sgf_Cardinals. Starting on Wednesday, Nolan Arenado is expected to follow suit. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Donovan may return to St. Louis by Friday and Arenado by Monday.
Arenado’s return may not seem vital for St. Louis at this stage of the season, but his last three weeks may decide whether he is seen as a payroll dump or a trade asset, especially because Chaim Bloom will be taking over as president of baseball operations in the winter.
Arenado will have to demonstrate that his shoulder actually limited his offensive output upon his comeback and that he still has some left in him.
