By Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch –
ST. LOUIS — Ten days into his return from knee surgery, Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman has felt his timing start to return at the plate and recognized that the role he left might not be the same role he returns to even when completely healthy.
And that’s fine by him.
“We’ve got a surplus of guys now for our lineup spots,” Berkman said. “Everybody deserves to play, really. You could make the case that everybody but me deserves to play. I’m OK with that. I think the development of young guys is fun to watch and I don’t want to retard AC’s (Allen Craig’s) development in any way. He’s certainly earned a place in the lineup.”
Berkman returned to the starting lineup Monday against the Dodgers, starting at first base after getting Sunday off. The start was his fifth since being sidelined almost two months to recover from surgery to repair a meniscus. It was against the Dodgers that Berkman injured his knee while stretching for a throw at first base, a day after he hit a home run against Los Angeles. It remains his only home run of the season.
The switch-hitting veteran had three hits in nine at-bats against the Cubs, and he opened Monday’s game with an RBI single in the first inning, his only hit in four-at bats in the Cards’ 5-3 loss. He has reached base in 34 consecutive home games.
Berkman is part of what can best be described as an evolving time-share at first base. Craig, who has 47 RBIs in 54 games this season, has a team-high 33 starts there this season. Manager Mike Matheny has described a “creative” rotation of players, with Craig also getting time in right field when Carlos Beltran needs a break or starts in center.
“There is a lot of juggling going on,” Matheny said. “We knew that going into this.”
Early on, the plan was to have Berkman be the regular first baseman, starting a majority of the days there. The knee injury, which at first appeared to threaten his season, altered that plan. He described Monday how being eased into playing time makes sense for his swing, helps him regain strength and conditioning and still gives Craig the at-bat he’s earned.
“My career is complete as far as I’m concerned,” Berkman said. “Not that I wouldn’t love to win another championship. Not that I wouldn’t love to be out there every day and be productive. But if that is not the case, I’m not that upset about it. If they think AC gives them a better chance to win as a first baseman, I’m all for it. I’ll do everything to help him.”
INTERNATIONAL SIGNINGS
The Cardinals’ agreement with Dominican Republic teen Andres Serrano, a strong-armed pitcher, has been voided by Major League Baseball because his identification or age claims could not be verified, an official confirmed after a Scout.com report Monday afternoon.
Serrano signed a $750,000 deal with the Cardinals last fall pending MLB’s investigation. The Cardinals agreed to terms with two international teens, outfielder Magneuris Sierra, 16, and righthanded pitcher Estarlin Arias, 18. Arias has a pending suspension because of a positive drug test that he started serving with the Cardinals on July 18. Sierra’s deal is pending an investigation.
EXTRA BASES
Lefty Brian Fuentes had his Class AA Springfield debut pushed back to tonight. The Cards’ minor-league reliever is scheduled to throw on back-to-back days out of the bullpen and the Cardinals could make a decision on his major league readiness as soon as Thursday.
— Matheny said the team has discussed carrying three lefties in the bullpen because of his willingness to use Marc Rzepczynski and rookie Barret Browning against righthanded batters.
— First-round pick Michael Wacha will move to High-A Palm Beach within the week, and he’ll be used there as a reliever, pitching every fifth day, in order to limit his innings.
— The Cardinals’ Class AAA affiliate in Memphis set franchise records with 24 runs and 24 hits in its 24-7 victory Sunday. Infielder Pete Kozma and slugger Steven Hill hit grand slams in the fourth inning. Hill hit his second grand slam in as many games Monday night.
— The Cardinals’ home game against Milwaukee on Aug. 5, a Sunday, has been moved from afternoon to a 7:05 p.m. start to accommodate ESPN.
