“Any time you can spend time with someone and get to see it with your own eyes, it’s helpful, but I wasn’t all that concerned,” Mozeliak said. “I was cautiously optimistic where he was headed.”

Mozeliak combined his talk with Ozuna with a visit to the Cardinals’ baseball academy, which was having its graduation ceremonies.

Mozeliak said he expected younger outfielders to be playing more at the start of the Cardinals’ exhibition season but he reiterated, “I have no concerns” about Ozuna’s availability.

Ozuna, who played in 148 games, third most on the club, batted .280 with 23 homers and 88 RBIs in 2018 and finished strongly, hitting seven homers in September after he had gone on the disabled list briefly in August. “He did not want out of the lineup,” said Mozeliak.

“He was really reluctant to see the doctor last year, and obviously pushed off anything major until the season was over. The bar was pretty low as to where his arm strength was last year, and I do think you’ll see an improvement.”

The Cardinals’ organization was aware when Ozuna was acquired from Miami before the 2018 season that there had been an arm issue, but also that he was coming off a career year (.312, 37 homers, 124 RBIs).