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Yadier Molina will return to the St. Louis Cardinals for Monday night’s game against the Cubs in Chicago.
According to veteran St. Louis Post-Dispatch Derek Gold, he did not attend the Cardinals’ games Saturday and Sunday after informing the club he needed to visit his native Puerto Rico. The Cardinals placed Molina on the restricted list Saturday.
Molina’s sudden return to Puerto Rico came at the same time that the professional basketball team was about to win the league championship. Vaqueros de Bayamón entered Saturday with a 3-2 lead in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional final with a chance to win the championship. The Molina club won its second championship in three years on Saturday.
It’s not yet confirmed whether Molina will appear at the Vaqueros de Bayamón championship festivities over the weekend, but he did not attend either of the Cardinals’ games in Arizona during that time. Molina was not paid during his absence.
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) reacts after losing the lead in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. (Rick Scuteri-USA Today Sports)
Andrew Knizner, who has started most of the Cardinals’ games this season, started both games, while 22-year-old Ivan Herrera was called up from Triple-A Memphis to fill Molina’s spot.
Molina’s decision to skip two games with weeks remaining in the regular season will undoubtedly raise questions among fans and the media. Even without him, the Cardinals still swept the Diamondbacks in Arizona and now have a five-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. The Cardinals (69-51), winners of seven straight, appear to be peaking at the right time and are showing no signs of slowing down.
Molina announced last year — as did teammate Albert Pujols — that he intended this to be his last outing in the big leagues.
“Yes, yes, it will be my last season,” Molina told reporters on a conference call last August. I want to finish her in this great organization.
In 52 games this season, the 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove Award winner is slashing .222/.243/.527, all career lows for him.
The Cardinals open a five game series against the Cubs on Monday at 7:05 pm at Wrigley.
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