Allen Craig to Return for World Series
The St. Louis Cardinals were already coming into their World Series match-up against the Boston Red Sox with plenty of confidence, but with one of their stars returning to the lineup for Wednesday’s game one, they should get an even bigger boost.
After missing most of September and all of the Cards’ previous playoff games with a foot sprain, all-star slugger Allen Craig said he’s fully recovered and is ready to play in game one of the World Series.
“I’m happy with where I’m at,” Craig said Sunday, according to ESPN.com. “No complaints. I’m happy to be on the roster and give it a shot, so I’m really excited.”
Since Craig hasn’t played a game since suffering the injury back on Sept. 4, he expects the team to ease him back into the swing of things by putting him in the designated hitter spot for game one.
“I think all indications are pointing that way,” Craig said. “I haven’t been told, ‘Hey, you’re on the roster,’ but given my progress, I think I’m in a good spot.”
The chance of re-injury in Craig’s case is low and the Cards know they need all the offensive firepower they can get their hands on in going against the league’s best hitting team.
“He’s such a prolific hitter it’s definitely worth the chance,” Mozeliak said. “My understanding is he’s swinging the bat pretty well. If nothing else, he adds a little pop off that bench.”
Craig said he hasn’t tested the foot in the field yet, but he will have some more time to heal before St. Louis heads home to host game three of the World Series on Saturday. If he isn’t able to go, the Cards could go back to rookie Matt Adams, who filled in for Craig at first base during his nearly two-month absence.
While St. Louis definitely stands a decent chance of winning it all without Craig, there’s no doubt that having him will be a huge lift – especially in clutch situations. Not only did Craig post a .315 average this season, but he batted a major-league best .454 with runners in scoring position during the regular season.
Many bettors and odds makers are still considering the Red Sox to be the favorite in the series, but with another all-star, the Cards are appearing to be a very formidable foe. And with Adam Wainwright getting the ball against Jon Lester in game one, I personally like the Cardinals to cover +1.5 on the runline tomorrow.
