St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado appears to be closing in on a return, with signs pointing toward a rehab assignment starting early next week. After spending time in Florida rehabbing a persistent right shoulder strain, the All-Star has rejoined the team and is expected to report to Double-A Springfield on Tuesday or Wednesday, provided the weekend goes smoothly.
Since Arenado was placed on the injured list shortly after the trade deadline, the team has felt his absence on both offense and defense. While no specific return date was initially given, manager Oliver Marmol’s comments suggest Arenado could return soon during the Cardinals’ upcoming homestand. Arenado has not seen action since August, but this latest development signals the club’s hope to have him back for the final stretch of the 2025 season.
As the Cardinals await Arenado’s rehab, the team is also managing another key absence. Catcher Willson Contreras began serving a four-game suspension on Friday, after Major League Baseball reduced the original six-game ruling. Contreras had been ejected on August 25 following an argument with the umpire and subsequently threw his bat—an action that accidentally struck the team’s hitting coach. Despite the reduced penalty, Contreras will miss the entire series against the San Francisco Giants.
Contreras began his suspension without any further appeal. In his absence, the team activated catcher Yohel Pozo, who recently came off the concussion list. Pozo will back up behind the plate, while Nolan Gorman is expected to take over at first base during the series.
In other roster news, Alec Burleson could return as early as Monday without requiring a rehab stint after recovering from right wrist inflammation. His return would provide a much-needed boost to the club’s depth. Meanwhile, Pozo was activated from the IL, and All-Star second baseman Brandon Donovan remains limited by a groin strain, though he has resumed taking batting practice. Marmol did not offer a definitive timetable for Donovan’s return.
