St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado reached two major career milestones on Sunday, collecting his 1,900th career hit and 400th double in a dominant 7-0 victory over the Guardians. However, the celebration came with a slight concern, as Arenado jammed his right index finger during the third inning and exited the game in the eighth due to swelling.
Arenado humorously recounted how he may have injured himself while awkwardly hitting first base after misstepping on his milestone hit. “I think I tripped and hit myself or something. I try to catch the front of the bag because I’m a little slow,” he said. Despite the finger being swollen and stiff by the later innings, Arenado underwent treatment and downplayed the injury’s seriousness.
The Cardinals, winners of 10 of their last 13 games, will hope to have Arenado in the lineup Monday as they begin a series against the Pirates. An off-day Thursday precedes a high-stakes Fourth of July weekend series against the rival Cubs in Chicago.
Arenado’s big day puts him among elite company—joining Paul Goldschmidt, Freddie Freeman, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen, and Manny Machado as the only active players with 1,900 hits. His 400th double also places him in a select group, once again alongside Altuve, Freeman, McCutchen, and Goldschmidt.
Despite the jammed finger, Arenado’s performance continues to solidify his case as a future Hall of Famer, proving once again why he remains one of the most consistent and clutch performers in the game.
