St. Louis Cardinals Roster
- NL Central
- Stadium
- Busch Stadium
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (forearm) arrived in the clubhouse ahead of Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox without a cast. Contreras is doing conditioning work, and he is hopeful that doctors will soon let him swing a bat with his right hand. It's a pretty remarkable turnaround for Contreras, who fractured his left forearm on May 7, and he noted that he's hopeful of returning to the Cardinals before the All-Star break in mid-July. In 31 games before going down, the 32-year-old star backstop was slashing .280/.398/.551 with six home runs, 11 doubles, 12 RBI, and two stolen bases across 128 plate appearances as St. Louis' primary backstop, and he should be stashed in the majority of fantasy leagues. Backup Ivan Herrera is worth a look in two-catcher settings for now, batting .448 (13-for-29) with five RBI during his current eight-game hitting streak.
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting leadoff on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Reid Detmers. This will be the first time this year that Winn has hit leadoff for the Red Birds. St. Louis is looking to jump-start their offense after putting up double-digit runs for the first time this year in Monday's win over the Halos. The 22-year-old Winn has hit well for the Cardinals this year in his first full season as their starting shortstop, going 32-for-113 (.283) with no home runs, eight RBI and six stolen bases in 37 games played. The young shortstop will definitely see a boost in his season-long and DFS fantasy value if he sticks in the leadoff spot, but managers considering using him in DFS on Tuesday must consider that he's only hitting .216 (8-for-37) on the year against southpaws like Detmers.
St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect Michael Curialle launched three home runs and brought in seven runs in Sunday's victory. Curialle spent the previous two seasons entirely in Single-A with a combined .274/.385/.382 line with just two home runs. Through his first taste of High-A this season, the 22-year-old has posted a .280/.383/.480 line and has already surpassed his previous long ball count. In addition, he is showing a better eye at the plate this season with a 6:16 BB:K ratio compared to his hefty 51:108 BB:K ratio last season. Curialle remains several seasons away from the major leagues but could become a name to monitor if he can continue this success when he is promoted to Double-A.
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Keynan Middleton (forearm) will start his minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday with Double-A Springfield. Middleton has yet to pitch for the Cardinals this year after he was diagnosed with a right-forearm strain in mid-March during spring training. However, the 30-year-old reliever is getting close to making his 2024 debut out of the Cardinals' bullpen if he can get through a rehab assignment without any setbacks. Typically, relievers don't need lengthy rehab assignments, but Middleton's case could be different since he's missed so much time. When healthy, he should occupy a key late-inning setup role for the Cards in front of closer Ryan Helsley, making him appealing in fantasy leagues that count holds.
St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley recorded his 12th save of the season versus the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Helsley worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. The right-hander remains one of the best closers in the league and hasn't allowed an earned run since April 8. Overall, Helsley has a rock solid 1.42 ERA to go along with a 0.84 WHIP and 21 strikeouts over 19 innings. Managers should continue to enjoy rostering one of the best closers in the game, but also be aware that the Cardinals could be sellers as the season progresses. If Helsley were to be dealt., Andrew Kittredge and Giovanni Gallegos would likely be the next men up for saves.