One of the biggest questions heading in to spring training for the Arizona Cardinals has been whether or not Stephen Drew would be able to play by Opening Day. It is for this very reason that the team brought back both Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald in the offseason.
Kirk Gibson spoke on the issue on Tuesday, as reported by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Obviously, the time is short, but Gibson was not willing to rule Drew out for the start of the season. The coaching staff has been working hard with Drew and Gibson said that they were "going to push him pretty good" this week.
There are some important hurdles to clear still. Drew has yet to face live pitching. He has not done much running the bases. He also has not done any sliding. The work on the bases will probably be the final step and it will be interesting to see how Drew changes his baserunning, if at all.
Whether or not he plays on Opening Day is still up in the air, and most might say it is doubtful. The good thing is that he is expected to get healthy early in the season. If he comes back and plays anything near the level he is capable of, the Arizona lineup could be very potent.
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