Cardinals may keep David Freese and Carlos Beltran out of Friday’s lineup – MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals David Freese may well be out of Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs due to the right calf soreness. Freese had to exit Thursday’s encounter against the Los Angeles Dodgers early which was attributed to the calf cramp.
With his unavailability for the series opener scheduled against the Chicago Cubs, it will be a test for the Cardinals' offence how it faces the otherwise in-form Cubs’ rotation and bullpen. As to what is the nature of the injury, the team manager – Mike Matheny, struck a note of caution.
"We'll have to keep our eye on it," Matheny said. "I think it's turned into a little more than what they thought, as far as soreness."
Like earlier said, Freese had to exit the game due to some cramp during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers whereby the Cardinals won a majestic 7-4 victory. The fact that Matheny deems giving Freese some rest is because he does not want to take any risk at this point in time.
On the other hand, outfielder Carlos Beltran may also not appear in Friday’s game. There is no report of any injury which the player has sustained. It will be worthwhile to recall that the Cardinals had decided not to play him in Thursday’s game.
"It's not as much his swing as it is his body," Matheny explained. "When his body feels good, everything else seems to fall into place. I don't think anyone has any question about how valuable he is to us. So to sacrifice one to get him back to where he's been for a good part of the season is a good trade."
Beltran himself said he felt good. It was the team manager who made the decision of giving him a rest. "I'm good," Beltran said. "He decided to give me two days, that's it.”
Beltran might not have been in super form in the second of half of the season as his record stays at 10-for-45. Part of the reason to not have him in the lineup against the Cubs may well be the slumping performance.
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