Yadier Molina plunked by fastball in rehab assignment, still dazzles for Memphis Redbirds

Chris Hill lives in Dyersburg, an hour and 30 minutes away from downtown Memphis. He hadn’t been to a Memphis Redbirds game since 2010.

Robert Waldrop lives in Atoka, about 30 miles away, and he hadn’t come to AutoZone Park since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yadier Molina changed all of that.

Molina was in Memphis on Thursday as part of a rehab assignment during his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals — and what surely will become a Hall of Fame career.

Molina's No. 4 Cardinals jersey peppered AutoZone Park on Thursday night. Fans yelled his name as he briefly took the field for warmups, even though he was in the lineup as a designated hitter instead of his usual catching position.

Before Molina’s first at-bat, fans clapped, gave him a standing ovation and chanted, ‘Yadi!’

"It's a great city," Molina said of Memphis. "They love baseball. I had spent only two months over here, but I have a blast over here."

Molina, who is playing his 19th and final season with the Cardinals, is on the rehab assignment after dealing with inflammation in his right knee. He went 0-for-3 on Thursday and left in the seventh inning after getting hit on the hand with a fastball.

Because of his expected retirement, this stint will likely be the last time Molina plays in Memphis.

In addition to a brief stop in 2019, Molina played for the Redbirds during a 37-game stint in 2004 before being called up to the major leagues. He has gone on to win nine Gold Gloves and make 10 All-Star appearances, helping the Cardinals win World Series titles in 2006 and 2011.

"This is my first Redbirds game this year just because it's hard to make it down here all the time," Waldrop said. "I was like, 'Yadi's here, I got to go.'"

"He's the GOAT," Hill said. "He's the greatest of all time. He's going to be a Hall of Famer one day. If you get a chance to see him this close, you got to take it."

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Thursday’s game was the first expected appearance for Molina. The plan is for him to catch on Friday and Saturday.

Molina had four plate appearances against the Norfolk Tides, who rolled out two-time All-Star Matt Harvey on the mound.

Molina finished 0-for-3. He hit the ball hard up the middle in the first inning, but the shifted defense was in position to make a play before misplaying the ball. He then struck a ball to right field in his second at-bat that caused a loud roar but was caught on the warning track.

The nine-time All-Star showed his veteran savvy after reaching on an error in his third at-bat. While standing on second base, Molina took his lead and timed Harvey's move perfectly to steal third standing up.He scored on a single on the next pitch.

Molina’s night ended in the seventh inning after he was hit on the hand by a fastball. The loud cheers shifted into boos toward the Tides as Molina walked halfway down the first base line before taking a detour with a trainer to the bench.

The ending wasn't ideal, but Molina's presence still provided a special moment for Memphis. The anticipation was matched with enthusiasm during every Molina plate appearance.

"That doesn't surprise me," Molina said. "I know that that they love baseball here, and they are going to support their players. I'm happy to see that, but I'm also happy to play here in front of the fans and do well for them."

Contact Damichael Cole at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @damichaelc 

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Cardinals' Yadier Molina plunked by fastball in rehab assignment