Nolan Arenado aiming for quick return for Cardinals after getting hit by pitch

The St. Louis Cardinals have turned things around as of late, as they are currently sitting in a playoff spot. It has quieted the talk of the team selling at the trade deadline for the second year in a row, with the team potentially in a position to buy instead.

The last thing the Cardinals need is injuries, especially in their batting order.

During their game against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado was struck in the right elbow on a throw from pitcher Huascar Brazoban. Arenado was hit during a swing and fell to the ground in pain, where he was tended to by a member of the training staff before heading to the dugout. Arenado was ruled out shortly thereafter.

Arenado was officially ruled out with a right elbow contusion by the Cardinals, and he was replaced by pinch-runner Jose Fermin.

Nolan Arenado provides positive update after suffering right elbow contusion

After the game, the Cardinals revealed that Arenado's x-rays came back negative and he will be listed as day-to-day, likely avoiding a stint on the injury list. That's good news. cardinals fans will feel even better after hearing what Arenado had to say.

While speaking with reporters, via MLB.com's Paige Leckie, Arenado believes that he will ultimately miss Thursday's game against the San Francisco Giants at the historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., barring feeling "really great." However, Arenado says he can hopefully return for their next game against the Giants, which falls on Saturday.

“Probably gonna be pretty sore,” Arenado said, h/t MLB.com. “It sucks that it's my throwing hand, so I don't know. I don't know how long it's gonna be. Hopefully there's no IL stint, but, you know, it's gonna probably be a few days. So hopefully I can get back Saturday. Or for some reason if it feels really great, tomorrow or something. I don't know.”

While Arenado believes he can return by Saturday, he says he doesn't know if that will be the case. It will all depend on how his right elbow feels in the coming days, especially to see how much the soreness subsides. But as of now, it appears Arenado won't be sidelined for a significant chunk of time.

Through 70 games this season, Arenado recorded a .260 batting average, a .315 on-base percentage, a .375 slugging percentage, six home runs, 26 runs, 32 RBI, 70 hits, 48 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 269 at-bats.

We'll see when Arenado returns, but after the hit by pitch, it appears unlikely he'll be available for Thursday's game.