最新杏吧原创

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. 鈥� The update Tuesday evening from Florida was that outfielder Lars Nootbaar had a 鈥済reat day鈥� as he accelerates toward a rehab assignment and game action, likely as early as this weekend.

Nootbaar continues to recover from surgery on both of his heels to alleviate growths that had caused irritation, swelling and difficulty performing daily activities such as walking down stairs, let alone dashing into the gap to catch a line drive. He鈥檚 been on the 60-day injured list for most of the season, but when he advances to a rehab assignment, the clock starts on how long he can remain in the minors duplicating spring training.

SACRAMENTO聽鈥� For Riley O鈥橞rien, one of the biggest leaps he made on the way to pitching the ninth inning for the Cardinals was a mental one and realizing it wasn鈥檛 enough to be able to 鈥渇lush鈥� a bad game from one day to the next.

He had to start even smaller.

It鈥檚 July 15, 1967. 鈥淲indy" by The Association is the top song in the country, 鈥淵ou Only Live Twice鈥� is No. 1 at the box office and the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals are doomed.

I mean, of all players to crack a line drive into Bob Gibson鈥檚 leg!

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. 鈥� It didn鈥檛 take long for the Cardinals, ever so cozy and comfortable in these close games they keep creating, to go right back to their four-step recipe for holding leads in the late innings.

Two days after San Diego capsized Cardinals closer Riley O鈥橞rien and won in extra innings, O鈥橞rien was on the mound with a two-run lead to cement in the ninth Tuesday.

After 40 games, the Cardinals have reached their first milepost of the season, the one-quarter mark, or at least as close to that point as the season gets without trying to account for partial games.

On Tuesday, the Cardinals begin their first-ever series in Sacramento, California, starting at 8:40 p.m. (最新杏吧原创 time) against the Athletics. 最新杏吧原创 split four games in San Diego over the weekend.聽

ST. LOUIS 鈥� When the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals return home to host Kansas City this week, they may notice the grass is greener.

For only the third time since Busch Stadium III opened, the entire grass field is being replaced during the baseball season.

SACRAMENTO聽鈥� The youngest player to start this season for any High-A affiliate tore through the level so swiftly, so completely that he鈥檚 now one of the rare teenagers the Cardinals have ever promoted to Class AA.

Rainiel Rodriguez, the Cardinals鈥� top catching prospect, is set to join Double-A Springfield on Tuesday as the S-Cards open a series in Tulsa.