THE SIDELINES : Sutter Joins Cardinals’ Minors

Bruce Sutter, one of baseball’s most successful relief pitchers and a player who pioneered the use of the split-finger fastball, has returned to the St. Louis Cardinals as a minor-league pitching instructor.

Sutter, who retired from the Atlanta Braves after a failed comeback attempt from shoulder surgery last spring, had his first day on the job Tuesday at the Cardinals’ minor league complex.

Sutter, 37, retired as the Cardinals’ career save leader with 127 and compiled 300 overall. But he has had three shoulder operations in the last four years and knows his pitching days are over. “I tried last year,” Sutter said. “I can play catch and I could throw batting practice, but if I tried to unload on one, I couldn’t do it.”