The chipped bone in Alec Burleson’s thumb healed relatively quickly. It didn’t prevent the Cardinals infielder/outfielder from having a normal offseason. In fact, he started working out again before the regular season ended.

However, the figurative chip on his shoulder isn’t going away. He was unsatisfied with his performance in 2023, and he carried that sour taste with him into the offseason. He plans to use it as motivation in spring training as he attempts to carve out a spot in the club’s plans.

Burleson, who turned 25 years old in November, played in 107 games (80 starts) last year in his first full season in the majors. His season ended a few weeks prematurely after he jammed and broke his left thumb while sliding into third base at Busch Stadium on Sept. 19.

He finished his first big-league season having batted .244 with a .300 on-base percentage, a .390 slugging percentage and eight home runs.

“I was finally getting opportunity to play every day,” Burleson said Saturday during Winter Warm-up at Busch Stadium. “To have something like that (injury) sucks, but I think the next day or after the surgery — it is what it is at that point. You just kind of have got to go with it.”

Two days after surgery, Burleson got the soft cast removed and replaced with a removable cast.

“The only thing it hindered was me playing golf,” Burleson said.

Burleson joked that the lack of golf was a “bummer,” but added it probably saved him money and made his wife happier.

The injury stopped his season abruptly, and it also forced Burleson to reflect on his first season in the big leagues earlier than he expected. That meant getting feedback from the Cardinals staff on how they felt he could improve.

The 6-foot-2, 212-pound North Carolina native received a blunt assessment from the Cardinals, particularly about his defense in the outfield.

The consensus?

They couldn’t rely on him as a defender.

“That’s all I want is honesty,” Burleson said. “I don’t want anybody to beat around the bush. I want you to tell me, ‘Hey you suck. Hey, you don’t (do this well).’ Just straight up. We can have a conversation about it. If I disagree we can talk about it. If I agree we move on and I take care of it. That’s the way I like it.”

Burleson agreed with their assessment of his defensive shortcomings. That shaped his offseason, and it led him to try to begin reshaping his body. He said he’d lost 12 pounds so far this offseason.

Two words rolled off his tongue when asked about his focus this winter.

“The body,” Burleson replied. “Getting everything moving better. Losing weight. Getting faster. I’m checking all those boxes right now, and we still have a month to go. I’m ticking off a lot of things that I wanted to accomplish this offseason. It’s coming together.”

Burleson said he already knew all the physical shortcomings the coaching and training staffs told him he needed to address before this offseason. What he didn’t know was how to attack it. He credits the Cardinals staff for giving him the resources and tools to do that this winter.

His training hasn’t been aimed at adding bulk. Instead, his focal points have been a more stringent diet and increasing his mobility. That difference, he hopes, will make all the difference in the outfield.

“That was my main goal, to be better on defense,” Burleson said. “The bat will take care of itself. All that stuff will take care of itself.”

The left-handed hitting Burleson showed outstanding prowess at the plate in the minor leagues, which led to him being the first member of the club’s 2020 draft class to reach the majors (just 228 games in the minors).

A second-round compensation pick out of East Carolina University, a pick earned when the club lost slugger Marcell Ozuna to free agency, he made his major-league debut in 2022.

During his time in the minors, Burleson averaged one home run every 22.6 plate appearances and slashed .300/.350/.492. He won the International League batting title at Triple-A in 2022 when he batted .331 and did not go more than two games in a row without a hit. He hit his first major-league home run in his 10th career game later that year after being called up to the big leagues in September.

Burleson doesn’t lack for confidence in the batter’s box. His track record only bolsters that belief in his ability at the plate, but it really hit home for him hearing that his defense lagged to a point that it would prevent him from contributing on a regular basis.

“Coming up and being one of the best players, and then being told you’re not good enough — you take it personal,” Burleson said.

The Cardinals traded away outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Richie Palacios this offseason. The corner outfield options still include Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker with Dylan Carlson providing a backup option in center field as well as the corners.

However, Nootbaar and Carlson have also been plagued with injuries in the past that have opened up playing time for other outfielders.

Burleson knows there are potential opportunities available if he proves he’s a viable option, defensively.

“It’s on me,” Burleson said. “I have to take care of myself, take care of what I need to take care of.”