Cardinals Slugger's Return Timetable Announced Amid Milestone Recovery Step

St. Louis will hopefully get a key player back soon

Apr 4, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view during the national anthem before the St. Louis Cardinals home opener against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to hold on and compete in a tight race in the National League Central despite being without a few of their top players.

Unfortunately, injuries have piled up for the Cardinals this season, making their efforts to turn things around from last year's tumultuous season much more difficult.

Luckily, a vital piece of St. Louis' offense is quickly making monumental strides on his road to recovery and has estimated when he'll make his return.

"Former (Chicago Cubs) and current (Cardinals) catcher Willson Contreras is not on this trip to Wrigley Field," MLB.com's John Dention announced Friday. "Instead, he is at Busch Stadium today taking his first full batting practice. To this point, Contreras has only hit off a tee & taken coach flips. He hopes to return by early July,"

Contreras suffered a devastating injury back in early May when New York Mets slugger J.D. Martinez unintentionally hit the Cardinals catcher's left forearm on a swing -- fracturing his left forearm.

The 32-year-old was hitting .280 with 17 extra-base hits including six home runs, 12 RBIs and a .949 OPS in 31 games played for St. Louis before getting injured.

The three-time All-Star had undoubtedly been the Cardinals' most potent hitter up until that point and playing without his slugging power has been difficult for the St. Louis lineup.

The fact that he's already taking batting practice after the gruesome injury is impressive and encouraging to hear.

Having Contreras back will be huge for the Cardinals momentum, as they seem to be clicking on offense finally. Hopefully, he'll be able to return just in time to help St. Louis establish themselves as buyers before the trade deadline.

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