Carlson putting in work to combat injury, earn Cards' trust

JUPITER, Fla. -- Seven hours a day, four days a week throughout the offseason, Dylan Carlson trained mostly in anonymity, working hundreds of miles away from teammates, Cardinals staffers and the MLB scene in Scottsdale, Ariz. Regardless of whether he was rehabilitating his surgically repaired left ankle, lifting weights, working to add bat speed or downing some 4,000 calories a day to add bulk, Carlson was laser focused on being at his best in the season ahead.

After all, the outfielder knows everything that could be at stake following two injury-marred, unproductive seasons with the Cards.

“Every season is big and important, but, in general with where I’m at, I know it’s important for me to go out there and produce and showcase what I can do coming off this injury,” said Carlson, whose Cards fell 6-3 to the Astros on Thursday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. “Me being able to prove that I can still help this team win games, that’s what it comes down to.”

Whereas that might not have mattered as much last season when he was pushed out of the starting outfield mix, Carlson now finds himself in the spotlight with Tommy Edman’s recovery from wrist surgery progressing slowly. Edman, who had a procedure done in October to repair a right wrist that has bothered him for two years, was originally slated to be the team’s Opening Day starter in center field. However, that looks like a long shot now with Edman shut down for multiple days last week when pain and stiffness resurfaced, and he still hasn’t hit off pitching of any kind in Spring Training.

With Edman progressing slowly, the Cards will almost certainly open the season with the 25-year-old Carlson in center. A first-round pick in 2016 and the organization’s top prospect within three years, Carlson has run into obstacles since seemingly being on his way to stardom after smashing 18 home runs in 2021.

At issue has been Carlson’s lack of productivity from the left side of the plate. In 2022, he hit .305 with an .845 OPS from the right side, but just .207 with a .633 OPS from the left side. In a 2023 season where his playing time was inconsistent and he battled an ankle injury, Carlson hit just .196 from the left side with a .592 OPS.

While he worked all offseason to better drive the ball from the left side, the results have yet to show up in Spring Training. After Thursday’s 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, his average fell to .111. He’s 1-for-15 thus far as a lefty with his one extra-base hit -- a two-run double on Tuesday -- coming as a right-hander.

“He’s working hard and that’s the key to this whole thing,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “There’s agreement on his end and with the staff and the hitting department on what that needs to look like. He spent the entire offseason after being cleared to hit, working on the intent of the swing.”

Carlson feels much of last season’s struggles can be traced to a high ankle sprain he suffered on Mother’s Day after stumbling out of the batter’s box. Carlson tried playing through the pain, but he ultimately relented to having season-ending surgery when other maladies cropped up.

“The biggest issue I ran into was when I started to compensate for that foot, I started getting stress reactions, back issues from walking differently and then I ended up with the oblique strain,” he said.

In Arizona throughout the offseason, Carlson put in long days rehabilitating his ankle, bettering his body and adding more whip to his swing from the left side. The whole time he said he was thinking about showing the Cardinals that he is a player who can be trusted.

“There were a lot of long days,” Carlson said. “I was working with an hour of physical therapy on the ankle, then two hours of lifting and doing a workout routine with a lot of stretching. Then, I’d hit for an hour or two. It was a lot of work, which was what I needed to get ready for this season. I’m in a good spot now.”

As for those 4,000 calories he’s still eating daily, he’s gotten his weight to 205 pounds, and he thinks the bulk will help him over a long season.

“The extra weight makes a difference when you’re replenishing and you just want to put yourself in the best position possible at all times,” said Carlson, who eats four sizable meals a day. “Taking care of yourself off the field is how you do that. So far, I’ve been able to stay on top of everything and I’m confident it will pay off for me.”