St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina has escaped his recent injury with no structural damage. An MRI done on his sore right knee showed just inflammation, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
With this knowledge, the Cardinals are hopeful that Molina will not need much more than the minimum number 15 days on the disabled list. Molina was placed on the disabled list on Wednesday, so August 15 is the first date he would be eligible to return.
Molina left Tuesday night's game in the fourth inning with a strained knee. He was replaced behind the dish by Rob Johnson. Molina has been dealing with pain in the region since early June.
Widely regarded as an elite defensive catcher, Molina has also been swinging a big bat. He is second to just Buster Posey in wRC+ among all qualified NL backstops and has hit .330/.374/.479 over 98 games this season. Molina has been a popular name when discussing potential MVP candidates. A quick return to the lineup would certainly help his chances.
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