Michael Siani, the St. Louis Cardinals’ finest defender, is close to returning from an oblique injury that has kept him out for the previous two weeks. Siani has yet to resume swinging, but he has begun some fielding drills, according to MLB reporter John Denton.
Cardinals Best Defender Inching Towards Return From Injury
Siani’s Injury Rehab
Siani was placed on the injured list on August 4th after straining his oblique while swinging a foul ball against the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals have already seen oblique problems this season from outfielder Lars Nootbaar and infielder Matt Carpenter.
“It looks like it’s something that will sideline him for a little while,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol told KMOX radio following the injury. “It’s definitely an oblique and we know how those go.”
Marmol informed Denton that Siani resumed running and short fielding workouts this week. He is yet to restart swinging the bat. Siani is expected to return from injury in early to mid September.
One Of The League’s Top Defenders
This season, the rookie center fielder has relied heavily on his defense. Siani has a defensive run value of 13, ranking fourth in the League and third among MLB outfielders.
Siani boasts baseball’s seventh-best outfielder leap numbers, 3.1 feet higher than the average MLB jump. He also has 15 outs above average, which ranks seventh in the MLB and third among outfielders.
“He’s been unbelievable in center, one of the best center fielders in the game right now,” Marmol told ESPN in June. “His first step is incredible; he has saved us multiple times.”
Prior to the injury, Siani was a regular starter in center field for the Cardinals, serving as a safety net for pitchers with a series of circus catches.
One Of The Team’s Hottest Hitters
Siani was on a 12-game hitting streak before being hurt. The run ended when he left the game early due to an injury. a
Siani’s slash line over his last 14 games was.400/.455/.425. During that time, his OPS of.880 was the highest among the Cardinals’ everyday starts.
Siani also contributed to the team’s baserunning efforts, scoring nine runs and stealing four bases across 14 games. Baseball Savant ranks him in the top 25% of the league in terms of basepath sprint speed.
Cardinals Are Struggling
On Tuesday, the Cardinals lost 4-1 to the Cincinnati Reds, dropping them back to.500. They are 3–6 since Siani’s injury. However, the decline began before that. The Cardinals are 10-15 over the last month, having dropped from a Wild Card berth to three-and-a-half games back.
The team made significant moves during the Trade Deadline, obtaining a much-needed starting pitcher in Erick Fedde and a right-handed bat in Tommy Pham. However, since the trade deadline, the squad has been two games below.500. The Cardinals have scored the seventh-fewest runs in the League during the last month, with 96.
“We just have to accept it; at the end of the day, no one will feel sorry for us.” “We’ve got to accept that we haven’t come through in certain situations,” Marmol said following Tuesday’s loss to the Reds. “Moving forward, we simply have to be better. That is the bottom line.
