CHICAGO — The sliding tag play that shook his ribcage and signaled that he had an injury impossible to play through found Paul DeJong this past week at Class AAA Memphis as he made his way back to the majors.
He completed it without trouble or pain, but with relief.
“So, I feel like I came full circle with that,” DeJong said. “This is a new lease on the season for me.”
The Cardinals’ starting shortstop returned Friday from a monthlong absence to recover from a broken rib. DeJong, an All-Star one season removed from hitting 30 home runs, went oh-for-four in the Cardinals’ 8-5 loss at Wrigley Field.