Cardinals' Greg Holland: Sharp since DL return

Holland, who fired a scoreless ninth inning in which he recorded two strikeouts in a loss to the Phillies on Wednesday, has now put together a pair of perfect frames and recorded four strikeouts overall in his two appearances since returning from a hip injury.

To say Holland's first pair of appearances since his Tuesday activation have been a pleasant surprise would be an understatement. The veteran right-hander appeared close to a lost cause -- both prior to his injury and during his minor-league rehab appearances -- as he consistently had trouble finding the strike zone and pitched to a fair amount of contact. However, Holland could hardly be sharper since returning, as he's needed a scant 25 pitches to get six outs, with 20 of those offerings finding the strike zone. There may yet be a place in the St. Louis bullpen for the one-time closer, although it's unlikely he returns to any type of high-leverage role in the near future with Bud Norris mostly thriving in the ninth inning so far this season.