Piscotty’s mom diagnosed with ALS

Cardinals outfielder Stephen Piscotty returned to the team Wednesday and told reporters the reason for his absence: His mother, Gretchen, has been diagnosed with ALS.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush — the reason I went back (to California) was for my mom,” Piscotty said. “Last Wednesday she was diagnosed with ALS, so it was a time to get back and spend time with her.

“It just really puts life in perspective. When I got the news, it was a little tough to focus. I felt it was the right decision to go home, and (Cardinals manager) Mike (Matheny) was great about making that real easy. I was very thankful for that.

“(But) it’s time to get back to work and get rolling.”

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects as many as 30,000 people in the United States. It is a progressive disease that attacks the nerve cells and eventually leads to paralysis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cause of ALS is unknown.

Most patients are expected to live three to five years after symptoms start to develop. Symptoms include difficulty walking, weakness in the legs and feet, slurred speech and trouble swallowing.

Piscotty left the team Friday afternoon and missed five games. He spent the weekend with his family and kept tabs on the Cardinals with his mother, who he said is a “terrific” sports mom.

Piscotty was in the Cardinals’ lineup for Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers at Busch Stadium. He was in right field and batted sixth.

“I know she enjoys watching me play,” Piscotty said of his mother, “so I want to give her that.”