St. Louis Cardinals' Tony Cruz replaces Yadier Molina as he is placed on bereavement list – MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, July 6, placed Yadier Molina on the ML bereavement list after the demise of his wife’s grandfather. The catcher is not expected to rejoin the team this week as he is reported to have gone back to Puerto Rico.
The catcher was also selected for the All-Star Game, but after Friday’s incident, he might not be able to show up in the game, leading to possible replacement.
Reports also suggest that team-mate Matt Holliday is likely to replace him in the All-Star Game.
Team manager Mike Matheny spoke of the situation Yadier was faced with, leading to the team’s decision to back him in this circumstance. Mike Matheny made it clear that family is first, that is why the team has allowed the player to head to Puerto Rico.
"On the field, obviously, we'd like to have him here, but we have a consistent message around here that we keep the first things first," Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny said on Friday afternoon about the decision pertaining to the catcher. "Family's first, and it's a tough deal that their family's going through right now.”
The team manager, nonetheless, also commented that the team needs him on the field and said, “We're thinking about him. We're praying for him. The baseball stuff's secondary, but there's no question, we like having him around, we need him on the field.”
In the absence of Yadier Molina, the Cardinals have decided to go for backup Tony Cruz. While he might not bring with himself the power and effectiveness seen in Yadier Molina, he is expected to at least provide the required backup.
"We're just gonna watch today, see how it goes, see how he feels, keep a close eye on him," Matheny said.
Cruz has an average of .196 in his 22 appearances this season, having had three doubles and a homer. His task is indeed considerably difficult, but young and ambitious that he is, he will try to overcome the pressure that he will confront by the time Molina returns to the side – probably by the end of next week.
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