Losers of six straight games, the St. Louis Cardinals desperately need to get back into the win column this weekend, and more roster moves have been made in an effort to do so.
The first of those involved activating Jordan Walker from the injured list today, with a corresponding move of outfielder Michael Siani being optioned back to Triple-A. Walker, who had two rehab appearances with Memphis before his return, went 3-8 with three singles, three RBIs, and three strikeouts after missing time. since May 28th with wrist inflammation .
Walker was just finally finding his swing when he hit the injured list, so the Cardinals are crossing their fingers that he can swing a hot bat for them in his return. The Cardinals' offense has been sputtering as of late, and they really lack right-handed options to help them produce runs.
Cardinals News: Ryan Vilade optioned, Lars Nootbaar will be absent from the Cardinals' lineup this weekend
Ryan Vilade, who was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster when Walker went on the injured list and was mostly ineffective in his small sample size, was designated for an assignment when the Cardinals brought up right-handed pitcher Andre Granillo, and has now been claimed by their division rival , the Cincinnati Reds.
The Reds will be Vilade's third team in two years, as the outfielder spent last season in the Detroit Tigers organization before coming over to the Cardinals this offseason.
Lars Nootbaar was demoted from the Cardinals' lead-off spot after last night's game, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Nootbaar has been atrocious at the plate for the last week of baseball, but his slump dates all the way back over a month now.
Not only will Nootbaar be out of the lead-off spot for the time being, but it sounds like he will be out of the Cardinals' lineup entirely the rest of this weekend, with the club hoping to have him stay out of game situations until Tuesday, following the Cardinals' off day on Monday.
This is easily the longest stretch of baseball that Nootbaar has remained healthy for a single season since being called up to the Major League level. While his ability to stay healthy this year has been a positive revelation, it does seem like Nootbaar is in need of a break right now to work out of his funk.
Nootbaar leads the Cardinals in games played this season, and considering he's been the lead-off guy every time he starts, he's easily seen the most at-bats of any Cardinal this season. It would make a lot of sense for the Cardinals to bake in a few more off days for Nootbaar as the season goes on, along with other key players on their roster who seem to be in a rut.
In order to do that, though, the Cardinals need to better construct their bench And make it more usable for Marmol. Jose Barrero rarely plays, and Yohel Pozo starts once every turn through the rotation. Having someone like Thomas Saggese on this roster would allow the Cardinals to sprinkle in more off days for players, have a right-handed bat off the bench they can go to late in games, and give them more flexibility in lineup construction against lefties.
This article was originally published on News Freshas Cardinals News: Walker is back, Nootbaar benched, Siani optioned, Vilade's new home .
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