By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | Feb. 15, 2016, 2:36 pm CT
By Barbara Moore / CC Image / No changes made
Two months after his second thumb surgery of the offseason, Yadier Molina had the cast on his left hand removed roughly ten days ago, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports. Now, the All Star backstop’s goal this spring is regaining strength in his thumb with the hopes of taking the field exactly 48 days from now in Pittsburgh on Opening Day.
“That’s what I want,” Molina told reporters, including Langosch, at a voluntary team workout on Monday. “That’s my goal, obviously. We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m going to try to do my best to be in the Opening Day lineup.”
Molina originally sustained a tear in a thumb ligament during a play at the plate on September 20 last season, and played at less than full strength during the postseason. After October surgery to repair the ligament was unsuccessful, the 33-year-old went under the knife again two months later, and wore a cast longer afterwards to try to prevent any additional complications. He noted that his thumb feels better than it did two months after the first surgery.
Langosch reports that Molina will wear a splint on his hand for the rest of the month, before hopefully quickly resuming catching, and eventually hitting.
“It’s a little weak, a little weak right now,” Molina said. “I’m still working on the strength, and hopefully pretty soon I’ll feel normal. I have a pretty good idea of what I’m looking for for Opening Day, but right now I’m just trying to concentrate on getting the strength back in my hand. My whole body feels good. I’m just trying to concentrate on my hand.”
General manager John Mozeliak expressed cautious optimism in regards to the All Star’s status for Opening Day and the season on KMOX Radio Sunday.
“I really think in about two-to-three weeks we should have a pretty good idea if he’s on pace to be ready to go at the beginning of the season or not,” Mozeliak said. “But I think we’ve just got to be patient. But right now all arrows point positively, and that’s exciting.”
As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the redbirds are open to adding another backstop as additional insurance with Spring Training about to officially get under way, though as of now the club intends to go into camp with offseason acquisition Brayan Pena prepping for a role as backup, and early-season starter should Molina not be ready for Opening Day.
The team also signed catcher Eric Fryer to a minor league contract this offseason and have young catchers Michael Ohlman and Carson Kelly as other options who will see time at the position during Spring Training.
