Is Jon Jay about to return to Cardinals?

The St. Louis Cardinals may be about to get one of their injured players back from the disabled list.

Some fans are groaning over this news.

Why? The person in question is Jon Jay, who in the space of two or three years has gone from valuable Cardinals backup to a player that many wish would earn a one-way ticket out of town.

According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Rick Hummel, Jay reported to Reno on Friday in an effort to continue his rehab efforts. Jay, who has a sore left wrist, may continue swinging a bat but might not play in games just yet.

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Is this an indictment of Jay and his playing skills?

Not necessarily. It just means they are not trying to rush him back. With Stephen Piscotty in left, some combination of Tommy Pham and Peter Bourjos in center, and Jason Heyward in right, it appears the Cardinals might be set for now when it comes to finding healthy bodies. Oh sure, they wish for Matt Holliday to return from his quad injury every day, but the Cardinals aren’t crying because he isn’t back.

Let’s be realistic. Jay’s return would give the Cardinals another healthy option in the outfield, where Holliday and Grichuk are hurt and Heyward has been a bit gimpy as of late.

The problem many have with Jay is his average this year. Jay is hitting .223 with one homer and 10 RBI, well on his way to career lows in every category. Jay’s previous low average as a hitter was a respectable .276 in 2013. Last year Jay hit .303 with 125 hits, which was quite respectable.

What can Jay do to get those numbers back?

The sad truth is he may have to go elsewhere to do it. For now, let’s hope Jay can be utilized as an occasional spot starter or pinch-hitter the rest of the way.