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Edman, the Dodgers’ primary second baseman this season, said he walked through the same entrance from the parking lot as he did during his time in ӣ����Ƶ. He was introduced to new sights like the visiting clubhouse, which he had never seen before, and had to ask around to find the training room and indoor batting cages for visiting teams.

Though he had to get to know parts of a stadium that was once his home ballpark, the memories and his experience were recognizable.

“From getting called up here to all the postseason runs we had, and all the great people we met along the way. It's been great so far,” Edman said from the visiting team’s dugout while dressed in Dodger blue. “I'm looking forward to playing some games here and seeing the fans out here and reconnecting with some old buddies.”

Drafted by the Cardinals in 2016, Edman, 30, debuted for the Cardinals in 2019 and appeared in 596 games before he was dealt to the Dodgers last July ahead of the trade deadline. While with the Cardinals, Edman won a Rawlings Gold Glove award as a second baseman in 2021 and produced a 6.2 WAR season in 2022 as their primary shortstop.

When the Cardinals sought a starting pitcher and a right-handed bat they could bring off the bench as they pushed for the playoffs in 2024, Edman and pitching prospect Oliver Gonzalez were sent to Los Angeles in a three-team deal that sent starter Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham from the White Sox to the Cardinals.

Only Fedde remains a Cardinal.

At the time of the deal, Edman had been on the injured list to rehab his right wrist after requiring surgery the offseason prior. Edman had been viewed as the Cardinals’ starting center fielder heading into the season but opened the year on the IL and did not come off it until he was with the Dodgers. The emergence of Michael Siani’s stability as a defender in center field and Brendan Donovan's flexibility to play left field made Edman available.

“I definitely didn't enjoy being on the injured list the whole first half last year,” Edman said. “I didn't get a chance to compete with these guys. With guys that I played several years with. It definitely was not ideal the way that my time ended here, but obviously it ended up being a great situation.”

Edman appeared in 45 games in the regular season with the Dodgers and made 16 appearances in the postseason. He was awarded National League Championship Series MVP honors after batting .407 with 11 RBIs and a 1.022 on-base plus slugging percentage in six games during the Dodgers’ run to their eighth World Series title in franchise history.

Following his postseason heroics, Edman inked a five-year, $74 million extension with the Dodgers that will keep him under contract through at least 2029.

“It really was crazy. Kind of a surreal moment, especially going back to Southern California, where I grew up, and contributing for the team there,” said Edman, who grew up in San Diego. “I definitely wouldn't have thought that that would happen with the way that the year started. At the end of the year, I was happy that I was just getting on the field and getting to play. To have the success that I did in the playoffs was pretty unbelievable.”

The latest on Liberatore

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said starter Matthew Liberatore was “fine” after exiting his start in Game 2 of a Thursday doubleheader vs. the Royals following dips in his velocity.

The average velocity on Liberatore’s sinker, cutter, changeup, and curveball were all over 1 mph lower than their respective season averages, per Statcast. Ahead of Liberatore’s exit in the fifth inning, the lefty’s fastball dipped to 89.5 mph, which prompted Marmol and a team trainer to visit Liberatore.

Liberatore was said to be experiencing issues related to fatigue. He said he did not experience any pain in the out and linked the drops in velocity to being "out of sync" with his mechanics.

Extra bases

Outside of naming Fedde as the Cardinals’ starter for Saturday, Marmol did not announce who they planned to start Sunday vs. the Dodgers. The Cardinals have explored expanding their starting rotation to a six-man staff with one off-day through the rest of June. Prospect Michael McGreevy remains an option and on turn for a Sunday start if he is recalled from Class AAA Memphis.

Riley O’Brien was returned to Class AAA Memphis after he served as the 27th player for Thursday’s doubleheader vs. the Royals. O’Brien struck out one batter in 1 2/3 scoreless innings during Game 1.

The Cardinals named right-hander Tekoah Roby and catcher Rainiel Rodriguez as their minor league pitcher and player of the month for May. Roby, 23, went 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and four walks over five starts in Class AA during May. The 18-year-old Rodriguez slashed .370/.520/.852 with seven home runs, and 16 RBIs in 18 games in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.