NEWSLETTER
After some time to decide what to do about his injured thumb, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta opted for surgery, which will have him out for a while. Certainly it’s better now than after the season started, but he’s still going to miss a chunk of the regular season.
How much is a matter of some discussion, as earlier reports indicated he would miss two to three months, but Mark Saxon reports it could be longer:
Jhonny Peralta underwent surgery on his left thumb this morning, will be in a cast for four weeks, likely to return close to the ASB
— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) March 10, 2016
That would be half the season lost by Peralta, who remains very important to the Cardinals, even as his production slipped dramatically in 2015. The Cardinals do have some in-house replacement options, though it’s unclear if any will be as effective offensively and/or defensively as Peralta. Projections had Peralta worth between two and three wins this season.
Perhaps the Cardinals can convince a still-fit Ozzie Smith to come out of retirement for a few months.
