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Cards could get a boost vs. Reds with possible Pujols return

Jul 5, 2011 - 3:00 PM (Sports Network) - Athletes heal differently than most people and an early return from a fractured wrist is no surprise for one of baseball's best.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger and three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols is eyeing a possible return to the lineup as early as tonight in the second portion of a three-game series versus the NL Central-rival Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. On the disabled list since June 20 due to a fractured left wrist suffered in a collision at first base the day before against Kansas City, Pujols was originally scheduled to miss at least four weeks.

Pujols appears ready to go Tuesday, the first day he is eligible to come off the disabled list, and has been taking ground balls and swinging a bat at full strength. Pujols said there is no pain in the wrist and has full range of motion doing what he does best. He is expected to meet with Cardinals physician Dr. George Paletta Tuesday morning.

"Whenever he gives the OK, I'll be on the field playing," Pujols said. "Hopefully, the test and everything goes well. Whatever the doctors say, and the trainer, then I'll follow that. I feel right where I want to be right now. I'm pretty excited. I can't wait to be back on the field, whatever the time is."

The Cardinals didn't need the nine-time All-Star, who was hitting .279 with 17 homers and 45 RBI in 73 games at the time of his injury, during Monday's 1-0 win behind eight shutout innings from fellow veteran Chris Carpenter. The right-hander allowed six hits to improve to 4-7 on the season. Fernando Salas struck out two in the ninth for his 15th save for St. Louis, which is 6-7 without Pujols and leads the NL Central by one game over Milwaukee and 1 1/2 games in front of Pittsburgh. The Reds are three games off the pace.

Mark Hamilton's pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning was all the scoring St. Louis would need to register its fifth win in seven tries and open a seven-game homestand on a positive note. Colby Rasmus ended with a team-high two hits and scored on Hamilton's hit in the eighth.

St. Louis will host Arizona for four games on this homestand and is scheduled to send Jaime Garcia to the mound Tuesday. Garcia was 0-2 in four starts before getting back into the win column in ugly fashion last Thursday in a 9-6 win at Baltimore. Garcia allowed five runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings, pushing his 2011 record to 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 17 starts.

Garcia, a left-hander, is 4-1 in seven home starts and will try to keep his unblemished record against Cincinnati intact tonight. Garcia has faced the Reds six times (4 starts) in his career and is 4-0 with a 4.33 ERA.

Cincinnati has dropped three of four games and wasted a solid effort from starter Johnny Cueto last night. Cueto gave up the only run of the game and six hits in eight innings to absorb the loss, his third of the season (5-3).

"That was as good as you're going to see. Both of them were dealing," Reds manager Dusty Baker said about Carpenter and Cueto.

Reigning NL MVP Joey Votto registered a game-best three hits for Cincinnati, which will also visit Milwaukee for four games on this road trip. Scott Rolen posted his 2,000th career hit on Monday and is two doubles away of 500 for his career. He's also nine triples from 50 in his career as well.

The Reds went 3-3 on their most recent road trip at Baltimore and Tampa Bay, and hope Edinson Volquez can record back-to-back winning starts when he gets the call Tuesday. Volquez struck out seven and allowed three hits through 6 1/3 innings of last Wednesday's 4-3 win at the Rays to improve to 5-3 in 15 starts and lower his ERA to 5.65.

Volquez had allowed four runs in each of his previous two starts before holding Tampa Bay to three. The right-hander, who is 3-2 in eight starts as the guest, is 0-1 in two starts against St. Louis this season and owns a 1-2 mark in five career outings in this matchup. His April 22 start in St. Louis was delayed by rain. Pujols is batting .400 for his career against Volquez with two home runs and five RBI.

The Reds have taken four of the first seven matchups with St. Louis this season after losing 12 of 18 meetings a year ago. The Cardinals have won nine of the last 12 encounters with Cincinnati at Busch Stadium.