The St. Louis Cardinals have provided a positive injury update for closer Ryan Helsley. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that the injured pitcher has been cleared to start throwing.

The Cardinals will take any kind of good news that they can get about their closer. When Ryan Helsley was eligible to come off the IL a few days ago, Marmol said that the pitcher was prevented from throwing for 10 days and was not close to returning.

Hesley suffered a forearm strain on June 12. There is no timetable for his return. The Cardinals' pitcher is expected to be out for at least three more weeks, ending any chance that he had to play before the 2023 MLB All-Star break.

Hesley's performance and subsequent injury are among the many reasons why the Cardinals have been such a disappointment in the 2023 season. The reliever has a 3.24 ERA and seven saves, but he's also suffered four losses. It's a far cry from what Hesley did a season ago when he finished 12th in the NL Cy Young voting. Hesley saved 19 games for St. Louis, pitching to a 1.25 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP.

If St. Louis doesn't turn things around, a healthy Hesley might be a candidate to be moved by the MLB trade deadline. The reliever has two years left on his contract after 2023 and could boost the bullpen of a World Series contender.

It's really starting to look like the 2023 campaign will be a lost season for the Cardinals. St. Louis is 33-45, trailing the first-place Cincinnati Reds by eight games for the division lead.

The Cardinals have been trying to convince themselves that they can still win a weak NL Central.