The St. Louis Cardinals enter July in ideal position for a second-half surge. They are coming off their best month of performance, with a season-high three game lead over 500, and several key players are almost back.
Willson Contreras returned to the Cardinals weeks ahead of schedule, while Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman may join the team within the next two weeks. As John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, prepares for the trade deadline, his decisions will be influenced by the health of his team. Before deciding where to enhance his roster, he must first understand how it will look in the second half.
