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That was quick: For the moment, at least, Shelby Miller injury watch is over. Just days after the St. Louis Cardinals (quite casually) shut their top prospect down due to some lingering shoulder tightness, they shut him right back—well, up?—again on Thursday, proving they were as good as their no-big-deal word.
This, of course, is the risk of assuming that there's a bogey hiding behind every instance of John Mozeliak and company's progressing-nicely platitudes: Sometimes a pitcher really is just progressing nicely. Miller's hiccup isn't even enough to change the make-up of the Cardinals' fifth-starter derby; it's still his job to lose to the similarly qualified Joe Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal, with Carlos Martinez trying to get into the country and Michael Wacha looking like this year's Spring Training favorite.
It was such a blip, in fact, that I'm not sure it's even enough to get us permanently antsy about his arm; for most pitching prospects it's difficult to unring the bell after the first hint of arm trouble (See also: Jaime Garcia), but for now I don't feel the early symptoms of permanent shoulder paranoia.
So: Back to the old Spring Training narrative. Maybe Shelby Miller will have a great rookie season! Did you hear he was recently named the sixth-best prospect in baseball? And so on. For the moment, I'm happy for the tedium.