No Disabled List for Rick Ankiel - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Rick Ankiel's missed the Cardinals' last two games with a shoulder strain and he's probably not going to be playing tonight. Still, there doesn't seem to be any reason for Cardinal fans to worry. In fact, Ankiel said today that he can tell the shoulder is improving and he won't be going on the disabled list. He says he should be out just another day or two, but Tony La Russa isn't committing to that:

"When he's ready to go, he'll go. There's no way that can be misunderstood, right?" Tony La Russa said.

Ankiel said he suffered the strain during an early at-bat Friday as he tried to hit an inside pitch.

That's incredibly good news for the Cardinals, because Ankiel's made some big strides as a hitter this year and he's been one of the key guys in the Cardinals' hot start. He's currently hitting at a .285/.370/.483 pace, with the .370 on-base percentage being the key stat since plate patience was one of the big questions about the former pitcher at the plate. The sooner he gets back, the better off the Cards are going to be.