The appearance Reyes eagerly craved came Tuesday and after a jittery inning against Philadelphia — one flushed with adrenaline and stray fastballs — he and the Cardinals can let normality replace fanfare, outings replace rehab, and see if his performance wins that spot. Reyes walked two of the first three batters he faced, allowed one run on a hit, and struck out one in his first Grapefruit League inning in four years. In the three springs since, he was suspended for marijuana use, undone by an elbow injury or recovering from elbow surgery.
The Cardinals will see how Reyes recovers from his inning and determine his next appearance.