Wilson Contreras has been out with injury since early May after suffering a broken forearm during JD Martinez's at bat. It was a strange injury too, as the St. Louis Cardinals star seemed to be sitting much more closer to the batter than usual. Regardless, the latest update regarding Contreras sounds like a good one for the franchise.

Reports indicate that Contreras is finally taking his “first full batting practice,” according to Cardinals beat writer, John Denton. The superstar catcher is hoping he'll return by early July.

“Former Cubs and current Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras is not on this trip to Wrigley Field. Instead, he is at Busch Stadium today taking his first full batting practice. To this point, Contreras has only hit off a tee & taken coach flips. He hopes to return by early July.”

This is great news for the Cardinals. Wilson Contreras should return from injury in the middle of summer. That means he can contribute during a crucial time of the regular season and potentially help St. Louis with a playoff push. The franchise is currently 6.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

Wilson Contreres is the older brother of Williams Contreras who plays for the Brewers. It's pretty cool for the family as both teams are in the same division. That means their parents can likely watch their sons play in the same game often throughout the regular season.

Can Cardinals make a playoff push?

Wilson Contreras
© Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals are certainly in the mix for a playoff spot as they've cut down the lead the Brewers have in the NL Central. Additionally, they should be having several players return from injury this summer, which should help them in the middle of the season. But overall, this is a team to watch moving forward.

There are still several months before the playoffs. So, anything can happen. The Cardinals are on the verge of bringing their record back to .500. If they can beat the Chicago Cubs on Friday, then St. Louis would officially have a 34-34 record on the season. That's a good spot to be in with the Summer months ahead.

With that said, look for the Cardinals to potentially heat up. They don't have the most perfect roster but they can certainly go on a run. The MLB season is full of ups and downs and if this team gets hot at the right time, they could certainly threaten the Brewers for the NL Central crown.