They're still here: Cardinals back after long virus absence

CHICAGO (AP) — After weeks of uncertainty, John Mozeliak watched the St. Louis Cardinals drop off their rental cars and prepare for work. His cell phone was filled with encouraging baseball messages instead of questions of concern.

For Mozeliak, the club's president of baseball operations, it was a very good day.

“Today feels very much like opening day for the St. Louis Cardinals, and there's a lot of excitement right now in that clubhouse,” Mozeliak said.

St. Louis returned to the field Saturday for the first time in 17 days after its season was derailed by a coronavirus outbreak. The Cardinals headed into the weekend having played all of five games this season, winning two.

The reigning NL Central champions scored four times in the first inning of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, kicking off an extended stay in the Windy City and a busy finish to the pandemic-shortened season.

“It’s easy to complain. It’s the easiest thing in the world to complain. But winners find solutions,” manager Mike Shildt said. “And that’s the mindset of this group, individually and collectively. Yeah, there’s been a ton of challenges for this group over the last, you know, couple, three weeks, but we accept them and we move forward.”

The Cardinals had a much different look from the team that lost 3-0 at Minnesota on July 29 in their previous game. Star catcher Yadier Molina and infielder Paul DeJong were among 10 players and 18 members of the organization overall with confirmed coronavirus cases, shaking up the roster and coaching staff.

Top prospect Dylan Carlson was brought up from the team’s alternate training site in Springfield, Missouri, along with first baseman John Nogowski, right-hander Seth Elledge, and left-handers Ricardo Sánchez and Rob...