Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is off the restricted list and back in the lineup for his team on Monday.
The Cardinals placed Molina on the restricted list on Saturday, and the 19-year veteran was away from the team for two days. Catcher Ivan Herrera was optioned to Memphis in a corresponding move.
Molina is batting eighth and catching starter Jordan Montgomery in Chicago on Monday night as the Cardinals open a series with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Molina went back to his native Puerto Rico, where the professional basketball team he owns, the Vaqueros de Bayamon, was competing in the league championship. The Vaqueros ended up winning the title over the weekend, with a 4-2 series win in the finals.
The team shared some pictures of Molina celebrating the win on their Instagram page.
Molina missed about a month and a half earlier in the 2022 season, which the 40-year-old catcher said will be his last, with a knee injury that he rehabbed in Puerto Rico.
So far in 2022, Molina is hitting .222 with two home runs and 12 RBIs.
Molina and Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright are just five starts away from breaking the all-time MLB battery starts record held by the Tigers' Bill Freehan and Mickey Lolich.