Cardinals' Nolan Arenado gets positive update amid injury recovery

Cardinals' Nolan Arenado gets positive update amid injury recovery originally appeared on The Sporting News

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to reset this season after selling three relievers, including fan favorite Ryan Helsley, at the trade deadline. While they could still sneak into the postseason, most likely, the Cardinals won't be a playoff team.

But that doesn't mean that the Cardinals will not try to win out the rest of the year. One of the ways that they are poised to do so comes amid an update on Nolan Arenado's injury recovery from MLB.com's John Denton. 

Nolan Arenado’s path back to MLB and the #STLCards will take him through Jupiter, Fla., where the 10-time Gold Glover will work to strengthen his shoulder and regain his swing rhythm the next 10 days before likely rejoining the team in Miami on Aug. 18. https://t.co/lFAqeMEcIO

— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 7, 2025

Denton reports that Arenado is set to begin a rehab stint in Triple-A Memphis, and there, he will look to strengthen his injured shoulder, "... before likely rejoining the team in Miami on August 18th."

St. Louis has seen Arenado struggle this season, the most he has in his big league career. The 34-year-old 10-time Gold Glover has been a good defender again, but has struggled immensely at the plate.

This season, Arenado has a .660 OPS, the lowest of his career, and the only season so far below a .700. But, going by OPS+, it's not his worst season, as in 2013 he had an 81 OPS+ while he has an 86 OPS+ this season.

It's a sign that offense is down league-wide, and that the Cardinals' third baseman, while he's struggled, hasn't been significantly worse than the league average hitter.

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But, he's still not been great this season, as his overall numbers aren't as good as they once were. With the 2026 and 2027 seasons left on his $275 million contract, Arenado is likely to stick around in St. Louis for the next two years.

He has a no-trade clause, and while he could decide not to use it, he previously turned down a trade to the Houston Astros in the offseason. Barring a change of mind, Arenado will stay in St. Louis through the 2027 season.

That makes this injury update all the more important. Denton's report is a great sign that Arenado is ready to come back. They wouldn't rush Arenado back if he weren't healthy, as the 2025 season is not meant to be the team's year after they sold at the deadline.

His play once he returns will be very important to the Cardinals. If he can improve his offense, then St. Louis will feel more confident with him securing third base for the next two seasons.

If his struggles continue, then some questions might need to be asked. But for now, the update from Denton is a positive sign that Arenado is getting closer to returning to the MLB roster.

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