Freese contributes in Cards' exhibition win vs. Orioles

JUPITER, Fla. -- Still searching for its opening day third baseman, St. Louis recalled David Freese to its major league camp before Sunday's 5-4 victory over Baltimore.

Freese started the spring with the big club only to be sent down to rehab with an Achilles' injury suffered in an offseason auto accident.

Troy Glaus was expected to be the Cardinals' everyday third baseman, but a shoulder injury has kept him off the field this spring.

Without Glaus and Freese, Joe Mather had occupied third base for most of the spring. A converted outfielder, Mather impressed defensively but entered Sunday's game in an 0-for-19 slump. Mather broke out with a first-inning double, his lone hit in five at-bats.

Freese went 1-for-3 and scored a run Sunday.

While St. Louis is searching for a third baseman, Baltimore continues to try to define its starting rotation. The picture became a little clearer on Sunday when manager Dave Trembley confirmed that it is unlikely pitcher Rich Hill will be ready for the start of the regular season because of an elbow issue.

Hill's absence leaves Sunday starter Mark Hendrickson as the only left-handed possibility in camp for the Orioles' rotation.

"We don't have to have a left-hander in the starting rotation," said Trembley, who also has said he'd prefer to have at least one left-hander in the rotation. "I'd like to be 6-foot-3 too, but I'm not. You go with what you've got."

Hendrickson struggled early Sunday, allowing three runs in the first two innings before shutting down the Cardinals in his final two frames.

"I wasn't as sharp with some of my offspeed pitches today, but I made maybe a 20-pitch jump from where I was last time, so I was pretty happy with my stamina and conditioning," said Hendrickson, who allowed two earned runs on six hits in four innings.

Ty Wigginton's RBI single in the seventh inning -- part of a 3-for-4, three-RBI day -- gave Baltimore a 4-3 lead.

St. Louis tied the game on Yadier Molina's single in the eighth inning. Then, Jon Jay's single in the ninth inning drove in Shane Robinson with the winning run.

Noteworthy

• The Cardinals are expecting relief pitcher Dennys Reyes to report to Jupiter today. St. Louis signed Reyes shortly after the start of spring training, but he has yet to come to camp, opting instead to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
• The Cardinals reassigned Blake Hawksworth, Tyler Greene, Bryan Anderson, Jon Jay and Fernando Salas to minor league camp.