St. Louis Cardinals Roster
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St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras is getting the day off on Sunday for an early 11:35 am first-pitch time against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 31-year-old might be glad to get the respite, as he's a frigid 2-for-36 over the last two weeks of action. Although, Contreras did go deep in Saturday's contest to help bust the skid. The three-time All-Star is hitting just .215 with 22 runs scored, six homers, and 26 RBI in his first year with St. Louis. Andrew Knizner takes over behind the dish and is batting ninth on Sunday.
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer on Friday, but the club was defeated by the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5. The 32-year-old has experienced quite a bumpy ride in 2023. Arenado initially had an extended dreadful start to the year, hitting .242 (31-for-128) with two long balls for a weak .320 SLG over his first 32 games. The five-time Silver Slugger followed up with a ridiculous 14-game stretch, averaging .359 (23-for-64) with seven big flies for a .763 SLG over that time. In eight games before this Friday's bout, Arenado was hitting just .154 (4-for-26) with no homers for a .231 SLG. Fantasy managers are searching for some consistency out of the seven-time All-Star, who is now hitting .271 with 27 runs scored, 10 round-trippers, 38 RBI, and two stolen bases overall.
St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Jordan Walker is starting in right field and is batting eighth in his return to the big leagues on Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Roansy Contreras. The top prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, had a strong start to his MLB career in April before slumping and being sent to Triple-A Memphis. The 21-year-old will return to a .274 average (20-for-73) with three doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases in 20 games. On the farm, he hit just .239 (27-for-113) in 29 games, but he was heating up before being called up on Friday and had six doubles, four long balls, 16 RBI and four steals. Fantasy managers will probably need to be patient, but the upside is worth it and Walker should now be rostered everywhere.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 30. The left-handed slugger is dealing with a lower-back contusion that he suffered during Monday's contest. Originally, the team thought it was a day-to-day issue, but they have decided to give Nootbaar some extended rest. In a corresponding move, outfielder Jordan Walker has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis. The top prospect played 19 games with the Cardinals earlier in the season before being sent down to the minors. He slashed .274/.321/.397 with two home runs and 11 RBI in those 19 contests. Fantasy managers should make sure to double check the waiver wire to see if Walker is available.
The St. Louis Cardinals are calling up outfield prospect Jordan Walker from Triple-A Memphis, according to a source with direct knowledge of the move. Walker will join the team's active roster on Friday before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 21-year-old is the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, so he needs to be immediately added off the waiver wire in leagues where he's still available. He started his MLB career with a 12-game hitting streak earlier this year but went 5-for-26 (.192) over an eight-game stretch with nine strikeouts in late April to get demoted. Walker hit just .239 in 29 games for Memphis, but he's turned it on of late and is going to get another shot at the big-league level, hopefully for the rest of the 2023 season.
