JUPITER, Fla. — The most watched joint in Jupiter took the field with the Cardinals on Saturday and its owner, Albert Pujols (who is slightly more famous than his elbow), said everything feels fine now, so why fret.

“Knock on wood,” he joked.

Pujols arrived in Florida on Friday, returned to the Cardinals’ facility for a little work in the batting cages that night and joined to the team for the unofficial hitter workouts Saturday morning. On one of the back fields, he took batting practice (like he normally does) and fielded with an undersized first baseman’s glove (like he usually does).

As expected a healthy hunk of his conversation with the media Saturday was about the condition and future of the sprained ligament in his right elbow.

Pujols doesn’t believe it will be a problem.

“It doesn’t hurt at all,” he said. ”Why we don’t change the subject and talk about something else, please? I’m getting sick about my elbow.”

OK. But first more on his elbow in Sunday’s paper, to be sure.

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Cliff Politte returned to active duty Saturday and is cleared to throw as soon as Monday after an initial concern about the strength of his surgically repaired right shoulder. The Cardinals sent the Vianney grad for a battery of exams and scans Friday afternoon, but all of the information the team received was positive and they cleared him to rejoin workouts.

Dewon Brazelton did not get the same pass.

The righthander will not be allowed to throw for several weeks as the Cardinals are concerned about the range of motion and strength of his right shoulder. He will be put on a program to get the arm in better condition and then re-evaluated later in camp. Manager Tony La Russa agreed that it puts Brazelton several steps behind when it comes to competing for a major-league role.

“First things first,” La Russa said. “If you’re not healthy, you can’t compete anyway.”

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Lefty reliever Tyler Johnson went retro during his bullpen Saturday, snapping off a few curveballs. The wily lefty has earned his spot in the major-league bullpen with a sinister slider, especially when it bites away from lefthanded hitters. He said he’s not looking to bring back the curve he had in the minors or add it into the mix of pitches he throws — he was just using it to build up and refine the spin he needs before throwing the slider.

Watching the break on his curve Saturday, it’s better than just a laboratory pitch.

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Baseball America’s Jim Callis published an early, early look at the 2008 draft earlier this week. (Though, I guess it’s hard to Callis’ article early when the Cardinals have already held a mock draft with its amateur scouts … ) The headline is what caught my eye: “Too Tempting to Pass Up?” Callis goes on to write how the 2008 draft could be the deathblow for the slotting system.

The Cardinals have been a team that is relentlessly obedient to the commissioner’s office and its slotting for draft pick. (See: Rick Porcello.) But they have recently said that they are going to re-evaluate their approach to the draft and could, in the words of one official, “look at being more aggressive.” That’s not to say they’re going to go goofy, of course, but if there’s a player who slips to them because of the sixth tool — signability — then they may not be bound by their slotting habits.

Callis also writes about both of the local pitchers who are expected to be first-round picks — Mizzou ace Aaron Crow and Wentzville prep pitcher Tim Melville. On Melville, Callis writes:

Holt High (Wentzville, Mo.) righthander Tim Melville has separated himself from the rest of the high school pitchers with his plus fastball, projectable body and advanced feel for his secondary pitches and command.

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Pitchers throw to hitters for the first time Sunday, with the must-see matchup being closer Chris Perez and his first look at any of the major league hitters who will stand in against him. Other pitchers, mostly prospects, scheduled to throw live batting practice include Mitchell Boggs, Adam Ottavino and P.J. Walters. They are, ostensibly, competing to start the college game against SLU that starts the exhibition schedule.

As mentioned in the Sunday paper, Perez is an arm to watch this spring because the Cardinals have given every indication that he could get the same opportunity as Colby Rasmus. There’s a way for him to pitch his way into the big leagues.

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Aaron Miles was the latest infielder to report to camp. He arrived around noon, received hugs and hand slaps from some of his teammates. He plans to participate in workouts Sunday.

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Former Card File: Troy Percival is already making himself at home among the Rays.

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I misremembered to link to Joe Posnanski’s delightful skewering of a conversation between pitching pals, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.

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Asked about Juan Gonzalez and whether or not he was a player Pujols eyed as a kid, Pujols told reporters that they should all know his hero. It’s ageless Julio Franco.

“Has he signed anywhere yet?” Pujols asked.

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