---The news out of Cardinals camp is as rosy as their red hats. Jason Isringhausen had an exciting mound session, throwing all his stuff, looking great and comfortable, which keeps him on schedule for his first game action. That will likely come on Thursday. The Cards closer is coming back from hip surgery, so being pain-free during his delivery is having the expected results. Assuming that he comes through his first action unscathed, the next challenge will be if there's any limitation on his availability. Right now, the indications are that Isringhausen is all systems go for Opening Day. If you've been hesitant to push him up your draft board, this might be the last chance before everyone realizes he's healthy.
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After multiple off-season surgeries, Jim Edmonds isn't going to get into many games this spring, if any. It's well known that Edmonds hates spring training, often finding injuries that keep him resting while everyone else is running. The shoulder clean-up he had is a matter of greater concern than the toe surgery, though neither is really that troubling. The shoulder procedure was more of a cleanout and chance to look around than anything structural, and certainly nothing on the order of what Scott Rolen had before the 2006 season. Edmonds is still a bit weak swinging the bat, but there's time. At this stage, it's a tossup whether or not he'll be ready for Opening Day, though he has a tendency to start getting healthier when the games start counting. Edmonds is still a week away from getting into game action, but even with the possibility of starting the season on rehab, Edmonds holds about as much value as he did last season.
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D.GOOCH