Upbeat Molina still hoping for postseason return to Cardinals
The thumb ligament tear suffered by Yadier Molina resulted in his being officially ruled out for the remainder of the regular season, but could he return for the playoffs?
The St. Louis Cardinals' star catcher updated MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch regarding his situation on Tuesday, and he definitely came across as upbeat about the chance of a postseason return.
A few days ago, Molina underwent strength tests with doctors and while he didn't pass all of them just yet, doctors told him that, "there's a high [chance] to pass them" if he rests for another week or so.
As he explained to Langosch, that's what has him hopeful about a potential return: "It's still good news. It's still a chance to come back and play. The doctors said I just need one more week. We'll wait for one more week and we'll see where we are."
Of course, the Cardinals already locked down a postseason spot and could wrap up the NL Central title as soon as Wednesday. If/when that happens, it would mean their first NLDS game wouldn't be until October 9, giving Molina more than a full week of time for the thumb to heal.
Time is on his side right now, and if he's able to get the go-ahead from doctors to resume catching duties for St. Louis in the postseason, they'll obviously be quite fortunate.
