Although his throwing progression trailed behind his hitting progression while rehabbing a strained right shoulder, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado got a better sense of his timeline to return from the injured list about three weeks before his Monday activation.

“Once I got that up to date, that's when I realized I could come back with two weeks left,” Arenado said Monday.

The return was later than he expected but always in his sights.

“Like I said, it's better to come back with two weeks left than to never come back,” Arenado said before playing in his first game since July 30.

Following more than five weeks spent on the injured list for the shoulder injury, Arenado returned to the Cardinals lineup Monday with a start at third base in their series opener against the Reds. Now ba

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