(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals headed into Friday’s game against the rival Chicago Cubs having won six consecutive games and eight of their last 10.
Earlier this month, reliever Drew VerHagen went on the injured list after an appearance against the New York Yankees with a hip impingement.
However, the veteran right-hander could soon find his way back to action.
According to John Denton, who covers the Cardinals for MLB.com, VerHagen has performed well on his rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield.
He pitched a scoreless inning in relief on Thursday.
On Twitter, Denton noted that if all goes according to plan and he recovers well, VerHagen could join the Cardinals in Chicago on Saturday.
RHP Drew VerHagen came through his one inning rehab stint with @Sgf_Cardinals well on Thursday. If he recovers well today he could rejoin the #STLCards as early as Saturday in Chicago.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) July 21, 2023
St. Louis signed VerHagen to a two-year deal after the conclusion of the MLB lockout.
He was expected to be a key bullpen piece for the team and potentially even be used as a starter.
However, the 32-year-old struggled in his first season with the club, going 3-1 with an ERA of 6.65.
This year, he has been up and down.
He owns a 4-0 record, but his ERA skyrocketed to 4.78 after a tough outing on July 1 against the Yankees, which was the outing that resulted in him being placed on the 15-day IL.
The Cardinals bullpen has been suspect at best this season.
Getting an extra arm back could give the pen a boost, especially if certain pitchers such as Jordan Hicks and Chris Stratton are dealt at the deadline, as the Cardinals are planning to sell.
But if all goes well, VerHagen could be back tomorrow.
The post Cardinals Insider Provides Update On Injured Reliever appeared first on The Cold Wire.