The St. Louis Cardinals made a very puzzling move on Wednesday, sending top prospect Jordan Walker down to the minors, according to Katie Woo.

Walker, a first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2020, made the Opening Day roster at the age of 20 this season, making his debut on Opening Day. He remarkably recorded a hit in each of his first 12 major league games, hitting four extra-base hits and adding 8 RBIs.

He then had a 1-for-16 stretch but started to turn things around, grabbing a hit in each of his last three games with 3 RBIs. He hasn't played since Sunday, with the Cardinals opting to hold him out of the lineup for two straight games before sending him to Triple-A Memphis. This will be Walker's first time in Triple-A despite playing 201 games in the minor leagues.

The Cardinals are 9-15 to start the season, making for one of the most disappointing starts for any team in 2023. Fresh off a 93-win season and a division title in 2022, St. Louis has looked like a shell of itself in 2023. The Cardinals have yet to win a series-opening game this season and have lost 6 of their last 8.

It's unclear what the plan is for Jordan Walker. He certainly earned his spot on the Cardinals roster and handled his first taste of the big leagues with exceptional poise, making an immediate impact in the St. Louis lineup.

The Cardinals have one of the best lineups in baseball and the numbers back it up. They've been unable to translate that into winning baseball though and now have oddly demoted one of their best offensive options.