ST. LOUIS -- Injured Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena described Friday as "a big step for my recovery" after wrapping up a rehab session that included his first swings since undergoing left knee surgery in early April.
Pena, a switch-hitter, received clearance to hit off the tee before Friday's series opener against the Pirates and took 60 swings from the left side and another 60 from the right side. He also threw at a distance of 120 feet and then moved to the treadmill, where he ran at 75 percent effort for about 20 minutes. Pena completed each task without issue.