It’s been a long process for Brayan Pena.
He was all set to start the regular season as the backup in St. Louis, signed in the offseason to give an occasional day off to marquee catcher Yadier Molina.
Then the second-to-last game of the spring training schedule came, and a slip in the dugout led to two of the most-feared words for any catcher: knee surgery.
“When you get the news that you’re going to have to have surgery, it really upsets you,” said Pena, who joined the Springfield Cardinals on Tuesday to begin a rehab stint.