Hunter Dobbins Injury: Uncertain timeline for return

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom indicated during the team's recent Winter Warm-Up fan event that it's uncertain whether Dobbins (knee) will pitch in spring training games, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Dobbins needed surgery to repair a torn right ACL in July. He's been throwing all offseason, but the Cardinals could still choose to slow-play their offseason trade acquisition. If healthy, Dobbins will compete for a spot in the St. Louis rotation, but he does have minor-league options remaining and could also be stashed on the injured list for a while. More clarity on Dobbins' timetable should be available once spring training gets underway.