St. Louis Cardinals News

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Jimmy Crooks • C • Cardinals

Jimmy Crooks Ticketed for Major Role on MLB Roster?

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Friday. He'll join the big league roster after slashing .262/.412/.567 with 13 home runs across 39 games in the minors this season. Manager Oliver Marmol has made it clear that Crooks was not brought up to sit on the bench. He should get the lion's share of the playing time, with Ivan Herrera serving as the personal catcher for Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante. Crooks is not in the starting lineup on Friday, but figures to get into the lineup this weekend. Fantasy managers in need of catching help should consider adding Crooks. It's difficult to find catchers who can contribute consistently at the plate, and Crooks has shown the potential of being a reliable bat.

Yesterday

Jimmy Crooks • C • Cardinals

Cardinals Promote No. 7-Ranked Prospect Jimmy Crooks to Majors, Worth an Add in Deeper Leagues?

According to the team, the St. Louis Cardinals have promoted No. 7-ranked prospect Jimmy Crooks to the major league roster. Crooks made his MLB debut in the back half of the 2025 campaign, but he appeared in only 15 games during this short stint. However, Crooks has played at a high level with the Triple-A club this season and could earn a much larger role in his second stint. Last summer with the Cardinals, Crooks posted a low .133/.152/.244 line with one long ball. This season, Crooks has been among the top-performing catchers in the minor leagues as he has carried an impressive .262/.412/.567 slash line with a .979 OPS and 13 home runs. While the Cardinals have two proven backstops on the roster in Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera, if Crooks can continue this power surge, he could eventually carve out a role. For now, he is worth a pick-up in deeper two-catcher leagues.

Yesterday

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Showcasing Big Power, Emerging as a Must-Stash Prospect

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez continues to swing a dominant bat at Triple-A, and he has emerged as a must-stash prospect in many fantasy baseball leagues. Through 47 minor league games this year, Baez is slashing .257/.338/.578 with 16 homers, 11 stolen bases, an 8.1% walk rate, a 31.9% strikeout rate, and 130 wRC+. The power is undeniable, and we're impressed that he has showcased decent speed on the basepaths, too. Now, Baez just needs to crack down on strikeouts. While we expect some whiff from a power bat, a 31.9% strikeout rate in Triple-A likely translates to 35% or higher in the majors, which is something Baez needs to avoid. Once he cuts down on strikeouts, he'll likely get his call to the show, marking another key chapter in the development of the 2021 second-round pick. Baez ranks #5 among outfield prospects in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings, and he's still available in 98% of fantasy baseball leagues.

Yesterday

Rainiel Rodriguez • C • Cardinals

Is the Arrow Still Pointing Up for Rainiel Rodriguez After Slow Start at Double-A?

St. Louis Cardinals catching prospect Rainiel Rodriguez was promoted to Double-A earlier this month, but hasn't quite found his footing at the new level yet. The Cards' second-ranked prospect slashed .311/.430/.519 in 28 games at High-A before being promoted, and while he had a pair of multi-hit performances in his first three games there, he's since gone 5-for-34 (.147) with a 2:11 BB:K in nine games. The Dominican had an impressive showing in 2025, slashing .276/.399/.555 with 20 home runs in 84 games between the Complex League and Single-A, so this is seemingly his first run-in with adversity in the minor league system. Still, at only 19 years old, he's one of just three players that young at Double-A, the other being MLB's No. 1 and No. 2 prospects Jesus Made and Leo De Vries, so growing pains are expected, and with his pedigree, he should be able to get back on track. An MLB debut this season seems like a long shot, but perhaps a late-season call-up is in the cards if he can pick up the pace, otherwise, the right-handed hitter remains a strong dynasty asset and could have an impact in redraft leagues in 2027.

2 days ago

Dustin May • SP • Cardinals

Dustin May Flirts With No-Hitter, Strikes Out Nine in Loss to Brewers

In a cruel twist of fate on Wednesday against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers on the road, St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Dustin May took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but he and the Cards ultimately fell by a score of 2-1 on the road. May was outstanding, allowing two runs (one earned) on just two hits while walking none and striking out a season-high nine batters in seven innings pitched. Despite the valiant effort, the 28-year-old took his sixth loss of the season. Garrett Mitchell broke up the no-no in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead off the frame with a double to left-center field, and then he allowed a bunt single to Luis Rengifo. Both runners came around to score, and that's all it took. May has pitched much better over his last 53 2/3 innings, posting a 3.02 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 44:14 K:BB, but he hasn't won in his last six outings. His strong showing on Wednesday lowered his season ERA to 4.57. May is only rostered in 14% of Yahoo leagues, but after his near no-hitter, and with an upcoming matchup against the Texas Rangers, that number should be on the rise.

3 days ago

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

After Two-Homer Game, Joshua Baez Remains a Must-Stash for Power Upside

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez continued his power display at Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, belting two home runs in a 4-for-6 effort, giving him six home runs in his last 12 games and 13 on the season. The Cards' third-ranked prospect is still striking out way too much with a 33.0 percent K%, which has limited him to a .247 average, but an 8.0 percent BB% shows the 6-foot-3 slugger has a decent eye at the plate, too. Once on base, the former second-round draft pick uses his wheels, swiping 11 bags so far this season after a 54-steal campaign in 2025. His combination of power and speed is what makes him intriguing for fantasy, and with the power surge he has been on, an MLB debut could be just around the corner. The 22-year-old is a top hitter to stash for home runs and stolen bases, just know that he may not offer much in the way of batting average when he gets to the majors.

3 days ago

Matthew Liberatore • SP • Cardinals

Matthew Liberatore Fans Career-High 10 Batters in a Loss on Monday

St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore took his third loss of the year on Monday night on the road against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers, but it was still a very strong effort on the mound. Liberatore allowed three earned runs on seven hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out a career-high 10 batters in five innings of work. The 26-year-old southpaw now has 19 strikeouts in his last two starts, but he also has failed to pitch into at least six full innings in five of his last six outings. He has allowed 11 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings in his last three starts as well, so it hasn't all been great recently. Liberatore still has a 4.76 ERA on the year despite his strong showing against the Brew Crew on Monday night, adding 53 strikeouts and 29 walks in 56 2/3 frames across 11 starts for the Red Birds. The strikeouts lately have been nice, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues should take this as an opportunity to try and sell high. Liberatore is only rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.

5 days ago

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Remains Top Stash Target With Five-Category Upside

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez remains a top hitting prospect to stash, thanks to his elite five-category potential. Even though Baez has seen his contact skills drop at Triple-A this season, he has continued to flash high-end power and elite speed when on the field. Through his first 44 games at the top club of the St. Louis system, the young outfielder has launched 11 long balls while swiping 11 bags. However, his modest .233 AVG has limited his overall upside. He was given a serious opportunity to break camp in spring training despite not even taking a single Triple-A at-bat ahead of the 2026 season, but ultimately fell short in the competition. Even though he was optioned to the minor leagues, he is on the verge of a promotion, especially if he can continue to hit for power. If Baez can continue to turn the corner, he could debut in the coming weeks. His elite five-category skill set makes him a top stash target in all standard category leagues ahead of Week 9.

5 days ago

Brycen Mautz • SP • Cardinals

Cardinals to Promote Second-Round Pick Brycen Mautz for MLB Debut on Sunday

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Brycen Mautz will make his MLB debut against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The Cardinals need an extra arm after a doubleheader on Saturday. They've decided to give Mautz the call after he posted solid numbers at Triple-A Memphis this season. Across nine starts, Mautz has a 2.90 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 43:24 K:BB ratio this season. Mautz is a second-round pick of the Cardinals from the 2022 Draft. The expectation is that he'll head back to Triple-A after this outing, but he could be an interesting streaming option for Sunday's slate.

6 days ago

Bryan Torres • CF • Cardinals

Bryan Torres Gets Called up to the Big Leagues

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Bryan Torres is expected to get the call to the big leagues ahead of Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Torres is set to join the Major League roster, with Nathan Church (lower body) heading to the Injured List. Torres is well deserving of a call-up after crushing the ball in Triple-A. The 28-year-old is slashing .336/.454/.477 with two home runs and 16 RBI this season in Triple-A. He has also stolen 10 bases, so he can do a little bit of everything. Torres is someone to keep an eye on in deep leagues, assuming he can translate the skills from Triple-A to The Show.

May 21

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Returns From Knee Injury on Wednesday

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (knee) is back in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates after an MRI exam on his left knee came back clean, according to MLB.com. Winn is back at the 6 and is batting sixth against Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski at Busch Stadium. A left-knee injury kept Winn out of the starting nine for Tuesday's series opener against the Bucs, but he's back in there a day later for Game 2 of the series in St. Louis. The 24-year-old hasn't been much to look at so far in 2024 from a fantasy perspective, as he's slashing a mediocre .255/.331/.353 with a .684 OPS, just one home run, 17 RBI, 18 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 41 games and 175 plate appearances. The former second-rounder does have a hit in five of his last six games, though, going 6-for-22 (.273) over that span with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored. Winn is hitting .333 with a .666 OPS in a small sample size of just six career at-bats against Mlodzinski.

May 20

Riley O'Brien • RP • Cardinals

Riley O'Brien Blows Fourth Save, Should Fantasy Managers be Concerned?

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed closer Riley O'Brien blew his fourth save of the season on Tuesday in an eventual 9-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings, allowing two runs on two hits while walking one and hitting two batters in an inning of work. The 31-year-old flamethrower could not protect a two-run lead in the ninth inning. Despite the rough appearance on Tuesday night, O'Brien is still 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 25 strikeouts across 23 innings. He is still tied for third in the league with 13 saves. O'Brien has blown two saves in May but has also picked up five saves while allowing six earned runs on nine hits in 7 2/3 innings of work. He has not been perfect and has given up multiple runs in four outings this year, but overall, O'Brien has mostly been solid for the Red Birds and shouldn't be in any immediate danger of losing save opportunities in St. Louis.

May 20

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

MRI Comes Back Negative on Masyn Winn's Knee

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (knee) is considered day-to-day after an MRI exam on his left knee came back negative, according to Amber Winkler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Despite having an off day on Monday, Winn was not in the starting lineup for the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday after injuring his knee in the loss to the Kansas City Royals in Sunday's series finale. The good news with his MRI means that Winn could be back in action as early as Game 2 of the series against Pittsburgh on Wednesday. With Winn out on Tuesday, the Cards gave Cesar Prieto the start at the 6. The 24-year-old former second-round pick back in 2020 has slashed .255/.331/.353 with a .684 OPS, only one home run, 17 RBI, 18 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 175 plate appearances this season across 41 games played. Fantasy managers will want to check back a bit later to see if Winn is back in St. Louis' starting lineup against Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski.

May 20

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Closing in on Debut After Recent Home Run Barrage?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez remains one of the top hitters to stash on fantasy rosters, given his proximity to the majors and his power upside. The Cards' third-ranked prospect has homered in four of his last seven contests at Triple-A Memphis, giving him 11 on the year while slugging .484. The former second-rounder's power comes with quite a bit of swing-and-miss, though, as he's struck out in nine of his last 15 plate appearances (60.0 percent) and owns a 35.0 percent strikeout rate in 40 games for the Redbirds, which has resulted in a depressed .226 batting average. Still, so long as the 6-foot-3 slugger can continue to hit home runs, the batting average may not matter all that much in terms of earning a promotion, especially if he can draw walks at an average rate (currently 7.3 percent), which will help him utilize his base-stealing ability, currently with eight swiped bags so far after stealing 54 during the 2025 campaign. The multi-category potential makes him an appealing stash in most category leagues ahead of his eventual call-up.

May 20

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Not Ready to Return From Knee Injury

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (knee) is still bothered by his knee injury and is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium, according to MLB.com. Cesar Prieto will make the start at the 6 and bat seventh against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Winn was pulled from Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals early due to discomfort in his left knee, and he's still out of action despite the team having a day off on Monday. It's not the same knee that Winn had surgery on last September to fix a meniscus injury. For now, fantasy managers should continue to label him as day-to-day. The 24-year-old former second-rounder in 2020 offers a modest blend of power and speed at a premium position in fantasy baseball for the Red Birds. Through 41 games in 2026 in his third full season in the majors, Winn is hitting a mediocre .255/.331/.353 with a .684 OPS, only one homer, 17 RBI, 18 runs, and four stolen bases across 41 games and 175 plate appearances.

May 19

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Soaring in the Stash Rankings Amid Power Binge

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has enjoyed an impressive power surge over the past week at Triple-A Memphis and is quickly climbing to the top of the stash rankings among both hitters and pitchers. Over his last six contests, the outfielder has launched four home runs while swiping one base. Overall, Baz has shown high-end power and speed upside during his first look at the Triple-A level, going deep 11 times and swiping seven bags over a short 39-game stint. However, the No. 76-ranked prospect in the sport on MLB.com has struggled to produce consistently, posting a low .232/.304/.497 slash line. While Baez was under consideration to break camp with the MLB roster, his recent power surge could push their hand in the immediate future. Given his recent surge at the dish, managers should view Baez as a priority stash option in all category formats ahead of Week 8 of the fantasy season.

May 18

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Exits with Knee Discomfort

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals. Winn appeared to tweak his knee while running out a fielder's choice in the seventh inning. He was pulled out of the game for a pinch-hitter and will undergo further testing. Winn finished the day going 1-for-2 at the plate with a single and a hit by pitch. If Winn does end up missing any action, Cesar Prieto would likely get a chance to play some shortstop. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on Winn's status.

May 17

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Continues to Flash Power-Speed Combo, MLB Debut Around the Corner?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez began this week reminding fantasy managers why he is one of the top hitters to stash after belting another home run on Tuesday and stealing another base on Wednesday, now with eight home runs and seven steals through 35 games at Triple-A Memphis. The 6-foot-3 slugger is slashing just .236/.314/.464, but after hitting 20 home runs and stealing 54 bases while batting .287 last year between High-A and Double-A, the former second-round draft pick has the potential to be a multi-category producer when he gets to the majors. The team will likely want to see an improvement on the 32.7 percent strikeout rate he's produced this season for Memphis, but there's a good chance he debuts by midseason, making him one of the top prospect hitters to stash in fantasy leagues for managers who have available bench space or an NA slot to tuck him away in until the 22-year-old gets the call.

May 14

Jordan Walker • RF • Cardinals

Jordan Walker in Line for Contract Extension?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been a post-hype breakout so far in 2026, hitting .298/.378/.570 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI at 23 years old. He's tied for 13th in the league in fWAR (1.8), and his massive jump in OPS from .584 last year to .947 this year has caught the attention of scouts. The former first-rounder and top-10 prospect could now be forcing the Cardinals' hand to present him with a long-term contract extension, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Murray thinks Walker could sign a six-year extension, similar to Pete Crow-Armstrong with the Cubs, or he could follow the Austin Riley path and ink a 10-year extension that would lock him up for the majority of his career. The longer the Cardinals wait, the higher the price tag on Walker will be. In addition to his 11 homers and .290 batting average (45-for-155), Walker has contributed 30 RBI, 32 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. He has been one of the best value picks in fantasy baseball so far in 2026, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down.

May 14

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Seeing Stash Upside Increase as Five-Category Player

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has high-end five-category potential at Triple-A and is seeing his stash value increase in Week 7 of the fantasy season. Despite his slow start at Triple-A, the outfielder has flashed high-end power and speed with the Memphis Redbirds. Through his first 33 games at the level, Baez has swiped six bags while going deep seven times. Overall, the former 54th overall pick has posted a .229/.308/.450 line with a .758 OPS. Last summer, Baez opened the campaign at High-A but spent most of his time at Double-A. Across 117 total games, Baez held a strong .287/.384/.500 line with 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Even though he has had a slower start to the season, he remains on the verge of his MLB debut and could make a high impact for fantasy given his five-category skill set. He is a top hitter to stash in all 12-team leagues.

May 13

St. Louis Cardinals News

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