It's time for the first mailbag of the regular season. They've started playing games that count, and while this probably hasn't been exactly the kind of start that most fans hoped for, the Cardinals have 157 games remaining -- or roughly 31 times as many as they've already played.
As always, if you have a question, use the link below to submit it -- and please be sure to include your first name, last initial and hometown, and to use the word "mailbag" in the subject header.

My question is about Mike Lincoln. What is the latest on him? How did his surgery go? This is a guy who last year before he went out was the setup man for one of the best bullpens in the league. His stuff was electric last year. Can we expect the same when he gets healthy? Any info would be helpful. -- Zach C., Essex, Mo.

Lincoln has been cleared to begin throwing again after the strange setback he encountered in Spring Training, when he sustained a bone bruise in his throwing elbow. He and the team will progress slowly this time around, and no timetable has been set for Lincoln to get back on the mound in a game.

Lincoln's surgery actually went well, and for the first 6-7 months, his recovery was routine. Lincoln was ahead of schedule early in the spring. It's hard to know how effective he'll be when he returns; typically Tommy John surgery doesn't take anything away from a pitcher in the long term, but the short run is another matter.

Is there a difference between the 15- and 60-day disabled lists? It seems like everyone should go on the 15-day DL so you can activate them as soon as they are ready. Is there some sort of advantage to the team if they go on the 60-day DL? -- Joe H., Atlantic City, N.J.

There's one major difference, and it can make a lot of difference to the team. When a player is put on the 60-day disabled list, he doesn't count against the 40-man roster. A player on the 15-day DL is not counted against the 25-man active roster, but he still has a space on the 40-man roster. So if you're trying to clear space on the 40-man to add a player from the Minors or as a free agent, it helps to be able to put a player on the 60-day DL.

I recently saw a photo of Mark Grudzielanek wearing the number 12 on his jersey. And I know at the beginning of Spring Training, he had No. 8. Does this happen a lot when players come to a new team? Because I've seen photos of Pujols with No. 36, and I remember Rolen had a different number as well for a few games. -- Mike B., Chicago

Changing teams is part of it. In the case of someone like Rolen, when he was traded, he wanted 17 and couldn't have it because it's retired for Dizzy Dean. So at first he took the first number that was available -- he needed to wear something right away to play in a game. And then he thought about it and decided what number he really wanted.

In the case of Grudzielanek, he wanted a number different from No. 8, which he had worn in Los Angeles, but nothing really jumped out at him at the start. So he took No. 8 for the spring, and then traded with hitting coach Hal McRae. Grudzielanek has said he likes the way his name looks over a two-digit number, which is something to think about when you have a 12-letter name.

Pujols is another common case, where a player comes into spring with no guarantee of making the team and therefore isn't given a particularly spiffy number. Randy Flores wore 61 this spring before being given 34 when the season started. Anthony Reyes and Adam Wainwright wore 79 and 70, respectively, but odds are, that's not what they'd wear if either of them were to get a callup.

What is your opinion about manager Tony La Russa giving Chris Carpenter the start for Opening Day? Not that I don't have confidence in him, but didn't we trade to get a No. 1 ace in Mark Mulder? -- John V., St. Louis

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I thought it was a perfect way to handle it, honestly.

First, though Mulder had more wins last year, Carpenter had a better season by many other measures (lower ERA, more strikeouts, fewer walks, etc.). But mostly I look at two other things.

First, Carpenter was the Cards' best starter from last year, and that should be worth something when you're talking about an honor like Opening Day. Giving Mulder the start for the home opener was a great way to show him off as well.

Second, there's the matter of the two teams involved. Houston is a heavily right-handed team with a tough ballpark, and Carpenter is a right-handed pitcher who has shown that he can pitch well at Minute Maid Park. That made him, in my eyes, a great fit to pitch that game, while Mulder's first game came against the heavily left-handed Phillies at home.

Of course, in retrospect, neither guy exactly had a great game against Philadelphia, but Carpenter and Jason Marquis both pitched well in Houston.

I want to follow up the recent McGwire Hall of Fame question. Assuming he gets in, how likely is it that he goes in as a Cardinal? How does all that work? I might ask the same for Edmonds, assuming he ends his career with the Cardinals and gets in. -- Rev. Eric H., Murphy, Tex.

Assuming he is inducted, McGwire will be one of the most interesting tests of the new way this decision is made. The Hall of Fame has announced within the past couple of years that it will make the decisions on what cap a player wears on his plaque, rather than leaving it up to the player.

Wade Boggs was something of a slam-dunk, because although he won a ring and got his 3,000th hit elsewhere, he was clearly at his peak in Boston. Even Gary Carter was probably an easier decision, though Carter may be something of a better parallel, since he was most famous as a Met, but played the bulk of his career as an Expo.

I think, ultimately, it will be hard not to put him in with an A's cap, just because fewer than a third of his games were played as a Cardinal. On the other hand, there are the huge seasons in St. Louis that made McGwire a more clear-cut Hall of Famer (at least based on performance alone). I think they couldn't go wrong either way, and I'm very glad I don't have to make the decision.

In Edmonds' case, I think if he manages to build enough of a case to make the Hall, it will be in St. Louis, and he would go in as a Cardinal. Besides, he's already played more games as a Cardinal than he did as an Angel.