The St. Louis Cardinals are fighting to make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Cardinals were buyers at the trade deadline improving their rotation, bullpen and offense. Now the team hopes it can upgrade from within the organization with some help from the farm system.
St. Louis will recall former top prospect Jordan Walker from Triple-A, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi on X. The Cardinals have space for Walker after placing veteran Matt Carpenter on the injured list.
Carpenter landed on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain. The 38-year-old veteran last played for St. Louis on August 7. The team will use his roster spot to bring back Walker with the hope that his recent success in the minors means he’s turned a corner.
The Cardinals selected Walker with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft. He made the Opening Day roster in 2023 and, despite spending some time in the minors after an initial slump, Walker performed fairly well in his debut season. He had 19 doubles, 16 home runs and an OPS+ of 113 in 117 games as a 21-year-old rookie.
The Cardinals hope Jordan Walker can contribute to playoff push
Unfortunately Walker has struggled mightily in his sophomore season. The Cardinals’ right fielder slashed .155/.239/.259 in just 20 games before being sent back to the minors in April.
The Cardinals were hoping a little more seasoning in the minors would allow their young prospect to reset and fix his problems at the plate. It took a while but Walker has played well of late for the Memphis Redbirds. In his last 15 games for the Cardinals Triple-A affiliate, he’s slugging .667 with a 1.061 OPS. Walker has 10 extra-base hits in that stretch, including five home runs, with nine RBI and 13 runs scored. He’s gone 4-8 with two homers and four RBI in his last two games in the minors.
After losing Carpenter to injury, the Cardinals will give Walker another opportunity in the majors. St. Louis could certainly use a power boost at the plate. While the Cardinals are fighting for a postseason berth and just 1.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race, the team ranks 22nd in home runs, 23rd in RBI and 19th in slugging percentage.
Carpenter hasn’t been able to significantly contribute to the Cardinals’ offense. He’s produced a .712 OPS with three homers and 11 RBI in 42 games for St. Louis this season. The three-time All-Star agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals for the $740K league minimum. However, he’s still making $5.5 million this season courtesy of the two-year, $12 million contract he signed with the San Diego Padres prior to the 2023 season.
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