A number of players who have missed significant time could be returning to their teams in the near future. Pitchers Michael Wacha of the St. Louis Cardinals and Andrew Cashner of the San Diego Padres along with outfielder Angel Pagan of the San Francisco Giants are the big names this week.
Angel Pagan was a key player on the Giants 2012 World Series Championship team. That year he batted .288 with 95 runs scored and 29 stolen bases as the team's leadoff hitter. This year, the Giants are 36-21 with Pagan in the lineup and 22-29 when he is not. The outfielder has been limited to 63 games this season due to a bulging disk in his lower back, but he could be returning as soon as this week.
Pagan began his two-game rehab assignment for Triple-A Fresno yesterday, going 0-for-4 in his first game since June 14. He's scheduled to play again tonight, and if all goes well, Pagan will rejoin the Giants in Milwaukee on Thursday, according to Giants writer Alex Pavlovic of the Mercury News. The team is in need of a healthy Pagan, as their offense has been slacking since his absence, falling to 19th in the league with 444 runs scored. According to BaseballReference.com, the Giants scored 243 runs in April and May compared to 178 in June and July.
Giants should have Angel Pagan back in the leadoff spot on Thursday: https://t.co/Dkf3UVvdym
— Alex Pavlovic (@AlexPavlovic) August 5, 2014
In southern California, the San Diego Padres might be getting Andrew Cashner back within the next few weeks after his prolonged absence since June 23. The 27-year-old starter honed a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts before hitting the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Doctors said there is no structural damage, and Cashner will begin a rehab assignment this Friday with the High-A Lake Elsinore Storm where he will throw 30-40 pitches to get back into form. The Padres hope he'll be back in the rotation by the end of the month.
But perhaps the most notable return would be that of St. Louis' starter Michael Wacha. In 30 starts with the Cardinals over the past two seasons, the right-hander has a 9-6 record with a 2.79 ERA and 148 strikeouts. The team was hoping Wacha would be the second ace this year alongside Adam Wainwright, but he was placed on the disabled list mid-June with a stress reaction in his throwing shoulder. The 23-year-old began a throwing program on Tuesday and the Cardinals hope to get him back in the rotation by mid-September, which will force the team to move one of their starters into the bullpen or down to Triple-A. With Wainwright, Wacha, Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller, John Lackey, and Justin Masterson, the Cardinals will have no pitching issues heading into the postseason.
You can read more about MLB injury updates on ESPN's MLB Rumors page.
