Duke recorded his second hold in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Royals, firing a scoreless seventh inning.

EDGE Analysis

Duke was razor sharp, firing eight of 10 pitches for strikes while posting his fourth straight scoreless effort. The 34-year-old southpaw has been impressive in his return from Tommy John surgery, generating a 3.38 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 5.1 innings across seven appearances.

Duke notched his first hold in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Brewers, pitching a scoreless two-thirds of an inning.

EDGE Analysis

It was another positive step for Duke in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, as Wednesday's appearance marked his third scoreless effort in his first four trips to the mound. The 34-year-old southpaw has seen a fairly brisk workload since his July 21 debut, so it appears manager Mike Matheny isn't concerned about the fitness of Duke's elbow at this point.

Duke (elbow), just activated from the disabled list earlier Friday after 2016 Tommy John surgery, fired a scoreless two-thirds of an inning in Friday's 11-4 win over the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

The 34-year-old southpaw has been impressive throughout the recovery process, getting back on the mound in a matter of months following his surgery and then mowing down the competition throughout his rehab appearances. If he can maintain his current level of effectiveness, he'll serve as a valuable left-handed option for manager Mike Matheny in a bullpen that's been a frequent source of consternation this season.

Duke (elbow) was reinstated from the 60-day DL on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Duke hasn't pitched at the big-league level since undergoing Tommy John surgery following the 2016 season. The left-hander has been lights out during his rehab appearances, posting nine scoreless innings over nine starts with various clubs in the Cardinals' system. Duke delivered the best season of his career prior to going down with the elbow injury, accumulated a 2.36 ERA with a WHIP of 1.26 during 61 innings between the White Sox and St. Louis last year. He projects to slide into a high-leverage role within the bullpen moving forward.

Duke (elbow) notched three strikeouts over two scoreless innings for Triple-A Memphis over the weekend and has yet to allow a run in nine rehab appearances, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 34-year-old southpaw has notched nine whiffs overall in eight innings while allowing just three hits. Given the success he's enjoyed, Duke appears on the verge of being deemed ready for major-league action, and his appearance in back-to-back games was one of the steps the Cardinals wanted to see him take before beginning to contemplate such a decision. Duke is scheduled to make another appearance Tuesday after a day off Monday, at which point a more serious discussion about his possible activation is expected to transpire.

Duke (elbow) moved his rehab from High-A Palm Beach to Triple-A Memphis on Friday, firing a scoreless inning for the Redbirds and allowing a walk.

EDGE Analysis

Duke's rehab efforts are beginning to pick up steam, and he continues to be effective each time he takes the mound. The 34-year-old southpaw worked three scoreless innings across three appearances for Palm Beach and put in another solid effort Friday despite the step up in competition. Duke is likely in for multiple outings in Memphis before a decision is made on his activation date.

Duke (elbow), who fired two scoreless innings across two appearances with the Cardinals' Gulf Coast League team, made his debut for High-A Palm Beach against Bradenton on Tuesday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The southpaw continued to look sharp, logging a scoreless inning in which he gave up one hit and recorded a strikeout. Even factoring in the lower level of competition, Duke has been impressive less than 10 months removed from Tommy John surgery, compiling a 4:0 K:BB during his first three outings. Given the nature of his injury and the mileage on his 34-year-old arm, the Cardinals are likely to continue treading with considerable caution while he works back up to full strength.

Duke (elbow) fired a scoreless inning for the Gulf Coast Cardinals on Friday, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout.

EDGE Analysis

It was another notable step in Duke's surprisingly accelerated recovery, one that's now seen him get back into game action less than 10 months removed from Tommy John surgery. Duke remains focused on a possible 2017 return and would be looking to build on a solid 2016, one in which he posted a 2.36 ERA and 68 strikeouts over 61 innings with the White Sox and Cardinals.

Duke (elbow) began a rehab assignment with the Cardinals' Rookie League affiliate Friday, Derek Shore of TheCardinalNation.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Duke has been making the long road back following Tommy John surgery in October, but stated earlier this year he wasn't ruling out a return during the 2017 season. His first game action is a major step in the process, so rehab appears to be going smoothly. If all goes well in the minors and he avoids any setbacks, Duke may very well find himself back in the St. Louis bullpen sometime during the latter half of the season.

Duke (elbow) plans to pitch this season and hopes to return in late July or early August, Jim Hayes of Fox Sports Midwest reports.

EDGE Analysis

This is a lofty goal considering he underwent Tommy John surgery in October, but this development would suggest that Duke is progressing through his rehab quicker than initially expected. No word has come out about what his progress actually is, but that should come forth once he makes another significant step in his return.