The St. Louis Cardinals caught a tough break on Sunday when they had to place center fielder Michael Siani on the injured list due to an oblique strain. The last thing the Cardinals need in the middle of a heated hunt for a wild card spot is an injury to an everyday player, and it's unclear just how much time Siani will need to recuperate from his injury.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol's prognosis of the situation won't do much to quell the worries of fans. Marmol himself doesn't know when Siani will be returning to the active roster, and he even mentioned that players who suffer injuries to their oblique usually need a bit of time to recover.
“Obliques, they usually take a little while. It's different for every guy. We'll see how he responds over the next couple of days and have a better indication as to what it looks like,” Marmol said, via ESPN.
The good news is that the Cardinals have some depth in the outfield to weather Michael Siani's absence. In Siani's stead, Oliver Marmol penciled in Lars Nootbaar in center field. Nootbaar went 1-3 from the plate in the Cardinals' 6-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night. Victor Scott II, who was called up in Siani's place, could also play a role in the coming days.
Michael Siani II makes his mark for the Cardinals
The Cardinals have pivoted to a sort of youth movement, as they have aggressively given their youngsters, such as Masyn Winn and Michael Siani, some playing time as they look to return to respectability after a disappointing 2023 season. Winn has already established himself as the everyday shortstop for St. Louis, with the Cardinals even feeling confident to trade Tommy Edman away. Siani may not be the most flashy player, but he sure has made a solid impact for his team despite being just in his rookie season.
Siani is a Gold Glove-caliber defender, and at center field as well, one of the most difficult positions to play in a baseball field. The bulk of his value has come from his work with the glove, with his baserunning being a positive as well for the Cardinals.
However, the 25-year-old center fielder has a long way to go before being a positive contributor at the plate. He is currently slashing .256/.297/.325 — suggesting that he's a middling contact hitter with lackluster power and subpar ability to get on base. But the Cardinals will surely miss his elite defense at center as he nurses his oblique injury.
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