'Rolen' without Pujols

~ The Cardinals third baseman has been on a tear since the team's superstar went on the disabled list.

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols' side injury could have been devastating for the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, they've gotten as much production from the third slot in the order without him.

Scott Rolen is still recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery performed last August. Doctors have told him it'll be this August before he's 100 percent.

"They said it's going to be a year and I believe them," Rolen said. "My range of motion still isn't what it was. I still have tightness, I still have soreness and weakness from time to time."

You'd never know it by his production. His .341 average is among the NL leaders and he was close to an RBI-a-game pace the last 27 games.

"He's 100 percent mentally, and I think that's the most important thing," manager Tony La Russa said. "He is so strong."

Rolen moved up one spot in the order after Pujols was hurt chasing a foul pop fly on June 3. He hit safely in six straight plate appearances last week, scored a run in eight straight games and was batting .383 (18-for-47) in the three hole even after going 0-for-7 in the first two games of a three-game weekend series against the Rockies.

Rolen bounced back Sunday with a two-run homer, his ninth of the season, that helped the Cards sweep the Rockies.

"It's great to see him swinging the bat well," Pujols said. "He's not here to carry this whole team because it's not possible, he just wants to do his job and help us win."

On Monday, the day Pujols was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list, he still led the major leagues with 25 homers and 65 RBIs. Pujols has been swinging the bat and taking grounders, but his return date is still indefinite. The Cardinals have muddled along with an 8-5. Losses have come from a struggling rotation, not because of an offense now led by Rolen, who is second on the team with 46 RBIs in 57 games and starting to recover some of his lost power.

"I'm able to do things, but if you ask if I'm 100 percent healed, absolutely not," Rolen said. "I have a chance at success but it's not normal yet. I'm recovering but I'm not healed."

Rolen's homer Sunday to left and one to left-center last Wednesday at Pittsburgh were signs that his strength and range of motion were getting better. His other seven homers have been down the left-field line by design because he knew his fly balls would die in the power alleys.

"In the beginning I couldn't go out there, I knew I couldn't hit a ball out to center field or to left center field, and that's where I hit the ball," Rolen said. "When you can't get there, when you can't stick it in the gap and the ball's hanging up a little bit, then you're human.

"I couldn't hit the ball any better than I hit it [in Pittsburgh]. It was to the middle of the field and that was encouraging, to drive the ball and do damage."

Rolen at his best, or even close to it, is a huge complement to Pujols in the Cardinals' offense. Last year he was limited to 56 games by an injury sustained in a base-running collision at first base with the Dodgers' Hee-Seop Choi, the second serious shoulder injury in four seasons.

Those injuries have at times led to gallows humor from Rolen, who's in the fourth year of an eight-year, $90 million contract, but has wondered whether he's worth it given his durability or bad luck.

From 2001 to 2004 he had four straight 100-RBI seasons, and in 2004 he reached career bests with 34 homers and 124 RBIs. He also has six Gold Gloves at third base.

"He's always been one of our leaders," La Russa said. "He's a 100 percent player. He's a really good player, wherever you place him."

For a change, Rolen said the black cloud is no longer following him. He was 8-for-13 in a three-game series at Pittsburgh last week, although he said he didn't swing the bat that well.

"I think we all cloud results with feeling good," Rolen said. "I had about four balls that blooped in for me. I had some luck, too."