St. Louis Cardinals decide not to send Lance Berkman for rehab – MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, July 12, decided not to send Lance Berkman for Minor League rehab assignment and instead bring him in the club to go ahead with the games to be played against the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers.
The decision was taken after deliberation as the team prepares itself to get on the two aforementioned rivals, starting Friday. The road trip holds great significance for the Cardinals given the fact that they will go with a new push in the second half of the season.
Berkman’s presence in the roster will be of huge support for the defending World Series Champion. "The knee is not an issue," Berkman said as he had a workout session at Busch Stadium. "It wouldn't be to go down there and see if the knee can hold up under the duress of a live-game situation. I'd rather work my way back in at this level.”
The decision not to send him for the rehab assignment also brings to fore the fact that the team attaches a tremendous amount of importance to Berkman. He is expected to solidify the offence and just when it is needed.
Cardinals currently stand third in the National League Central. They will be looking to work harder to make it to the top slot and enable themselves to play in the post-season games.
Berkman, like said earlier, will play a key role in attaining the goals the team has set. The team manager, Mike Matheny, seems satisfied with the overall recovery of the player now. But Matheny wants to see if he has fully recovered.
"He's actually running better than I've seen him in a while," manager Mike Matheny said. "But the timing is going to be tough. No question. To take a break that long and jump back into Major League speed isn't an easy task. We'll alter things a little bit [on Friday] and see how he responds."
The days ahead will make it clear whether or not Berkman is fully fit and in complete form to play regularly in the second half of the season.
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