St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (knee) is returning to the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon. He is slated to cover right field and bat in the six-hole. The former 21st overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft has been sidelined since early March with this knee injury. However, seeing him return to the lineup suggests he will not face any restrictions by Opening Day. When healthy, Walker is expected to serve as their everyday right fielder. Last season, Walker held an underwhelming .201/.253/.366 slash line with 10 doubles and five home runs across 51 contests. However, he began to find his footing in the final month of the regular season as he posted a much-higher .253/.388/.494 line. During his rookie season, Walker posted a .276/.342/.445 line. The 22-year-old is worth a look as a late-round option in five outfielder leagues as he took significant steps in his development at the end of the 2024 campaign.
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that if all goes well with outfielder Jordan Walker (knee) over the next couple of days in camp, he will return to Grapefruit League action on Saturday. Walker has been out of spring training games since last Tuesday due to left-knee irritation but has taken batting practice and been tracking fly balls in the outfield over the last two days. It looks like the 22-year-old former top prospect is putting his sore knee behind him, and he still has plenty of time to get up to full speed before Opening Day in late March. The former 21st overall pick hit 16 home runs in his rookie season in 2023 but batted .201 with 50 K's in 178 plate appearances last year and was sent to the minors. Walker is going to get his chance as the starting right fielder in 2025, but it might be a make-or-break year for him in St. Louis.
Jordan Walker Goes Through Running Progression, On Track For Opening Day
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (knee) made progress in his return from left knee inflammation, according to manager Oli Marmol. The 22-year-old worked on baserunning movement and did some work in the batting cage. A return to spring games should be around the corner if all goes to plan, and the expectation remains that he'll be ready for Opening Day. The 6-foot-6 slugger is hoping to start 2025 better than he did in 2024 when he slashed .155/.239/.259 before getting sent back to Triple-A by the end of April. The former first-rounder has worked on his swing in the offseason in hopes of a turnaround, so hopefully this injury doesn't set him back too far. The right-handed hitter is penciled in as the team's right fielder, and if he can get back to the 22.4 percent K% he posted in 2023, then a much-improved batting average, along with double-digit home runs and steals could be in the cards. Going at the end of drafts, he could be a value if he can stick with the big league club for the entire year.
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that outfielder Jordan Walker (knee) is dealing with some inflammation in his left knee, but tests didn't show any structural damage after he was forced to leave Tuesday's Grapefruit League game early. Walker will miss around a week in camp to allow his knee to "calm down," according to Marmol. If the 22-year-old former top prospect can avoid any setbacks with his knee, he still has a chance to be in the team's Opening Day starting lineup at the end of this month. The former 21st overall pick in 2020 had another dreadful season for the Cardinals in 2024 and was sent back to the minors, but the good news is that as long as he's healthy, he's going to see regular playing time in right field in what could be a make-or-break season for him in St. Louis. At this point, Walker is merely a late-round flier in deeper fantasy leagues for his power.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (knee) underwent tests on his left knee. Walker sustained this injury during Tuesday's spring training contest. John Denton of MLB.com noted that the team should provide an update later on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team will likely keep him sidelined for the time being. During his MLB debut in the 2023 season, Walker logged 113 games and held a .276/.342/.445 slash line with 19 doubles, 16 home runs, and swiped seven bags. In 2024, Walker logged 51 games at the MLB level and held a .201/.253/.366 line with 10 doubles and five home runs. He generated a weak .211 xBA but posted an above-average 43.1 percent hard-hit rate. If Walker were to miss time, Alec Burleson would likely have an increased role in right field.
Jordan Walker Leaves Early Tuesday With Knee Injury
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (knee) left Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Washington Nationals due to pain in his left knee, according to the team. Walker will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Jupiter, Fla., to determine the cause and severity of the injury. The 22-year-old departed after just one at-bat and then catching a fly ball in right field in the second inning. Walker most likely tweaked his knee while chasing down the fly ball in the outfield, but we'll have to wait to see if it's a serious enough injury to keep him sidelined for Opening Day in late March. St. Louis' former top prospect had another dismal season in 2024 and was once again optioned to the minors. The former 21st overall pick in 2020 slashed only .201/.253/.366 with five homers, 20 RBI and 50 K's in 178 plate appearances. The good news is he did hit the ball, but making contact was an issue again. The Cardinals plan to give him plenty of run in 2025. It's a make-or-break season for him.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been working with new hitting coach Brant Brown to retool and rediscover his swing this offseason for what he hopes will be a bounce-back season in 2025. Brown discovered that Walker's hands were separating from his body too soon in his swing last year, and his balance was also inconsistent with the wider stance he used. The 22-year-old will now try to be more of a gap-to-gap hitter instead of trying to mostly loft balls over the fences. The former first-round pick struggled to a .201/.253/.366 slash line with a weak .619 OPS in 51 big-league games in 2024, leading to a minor-league demotion. Walker looked better down the stretch, but his strikeout and walk rates regressed. The good news going into 2025 is that the former top prospect should get a longer leash in St. Louis with the Cards prioritizing giving their young players more playing time.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker had the best game of his career on Sunday, going 5-for-5 with a homer, four runs scored, three RBI, and a stolen base. Walker improved his AVG from .143 to .195 and his OPS from .439 to .566 in this game alone. It's been a difficult season for the former top prospect, but perhaps a game like this will build confidence for the 22-year-old. He doesn't need to be added in fantasy yet, but he could be a good post-hype sleeper candidate next year.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been recalled from Triple-A on Friday. This move comes after outfielder Tommy Pham was designated for assignment. That being said, Walker is expected to play every day going forward, according to Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. The Cardinals have high expectations for Walker that he hasn't quite lived up to yet. Last season, Walker did solid as he hit .276 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI in 117 games. In 2024, Walker is hitting .145 with four RBI in 24 games. He'll cover right field and bat seventh versus right-hander Marcus Stroman on Friday. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues don't need to rush to the waiver wire. It might be better to wait and see if Walker can bounce back at the plate before snagging him.
The St. Louis Cardinals recalled outfielder Jordan Walker from Triple-A Memphis on Friday and designated veteran outfielder Tommy Pham for assignment in a corresponding move. The Cardinals brought Walker up from the minors earlier in August as well, but he went just 1-for-11 in six games before being sent back to the farm. The 22-year-old right-handed slugger should be with St. Louis the rest of the year with rosters expanding in September, but he's likely to be on the short side of a platoon against left-handed pitchers. The former 21st overall pick in 2020 was once one of the team's top prospects and hit .276 with 16 home runs in 117 games in his rookie season in 2023, but he's slashed .145/.228/.232 in 24 big-league games in 2024 with 21 strikeouts and no homers. Walker will be looking to turn things around in the season's final month to gain some positive momentum for 2025.
Jordan Walker
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Cardinals
