LATEST NEWS

April 24: Cardinals option RF Jordan Walker and LHP Zack Thompson to Triple-A Memphis; recall INF José Fermín and John King
Walker, who had hit just .155 without a homer in his first 20 games, was demoted to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday morning. Thompson, who surrendered seven runs in relief on Tuesday night, was also optioned to Memphis, where he will return to the Redbirds starting rotation, manager Oliver Marmol said.

Fermín, who hit .350 at Triple-A Memphis, was recalled to the Cardinals. King was also recalled for his second stint with the Cardinals.

Walker, who had hits in his first 12 games at the MLB level in 2023, is no stranger to spending time in Triple-A. After making the Cardinals Opening Day roster out of Spring Training, Walker spent five weeks at the Triple-A level last season. He returned to the Cardinals to finish his rookie season with a .276 average, 16 home runs, 19 doubles and 51 RBIs. This season, Walker has struggled to get the ball in the air while also having issues with pitch recognition and laying off pitches out of the strike zone. In 20 games this season, Walker had 18 strikeouts and just six walks.

April 23: C Willson Contreras (left hand soreness) exits early
Contreras left Tuesday night's 14-1 loss to the D-backs before the top of the sixth inning after feeling more pain in the hand that has bothered him for weeks, manager Oliver Marmol said. Contreras, who homered in his first at-bat, should be available to play in the series finale on Wednesday, Marmol added.

Upon grounding out to second base in the fifth inning, Contreras put his left hand on his left side as he ran down the first-base line. Once in the dugout, he used his mouth to open a water bottle. Contreras was hit on the left hand on April 3 in San Diego, and he’s been playing through pain in the hand the past two weeks.

Pedro Pagés, who was promoted to the big leagues on Sunday for the second time, came in to replace Contreras. Marmol said the lopsided score factored into Contreras’ removal from the game.

• All Cardinals transactions

10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

DH/1B Matt Carpenter (right oblique strain)
Expected return: Early May
Following a two-day stretch of taking on-field batting practice with the Cardinals to test out his oblique strain, Carpenter received a pain-killing injection in his right side on April 22, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.

The 38-year-old designated hitter/first baseman will be shut down for three days before restarting batting practice drills on April 25. He will then be reevaluated to determine when he can possibly begin a Minor League rehab assignment.

Carpenter, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 2, missed his 18th straight game on April 22. Carpenter is in his second stint with the club after starring with the Cardinals from 2011-21. Following a stellar spring, Carpenter had three hits in 10 at-bats prior to suffering the injury to his right side. (Last updated: April 22)

CF Dylan Carlson (sprained left AC joint)
Expected return: Early May
Carlson, who sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder on March 25, resumed swinging for the first time in three weeks, hitting off the tee on April 15 with the goal of progressing to soft toss later in the week.

After receiving a pain-killing injection in late March, Carlson worked to strengthen his shoulder before he could start swinging. Once he's progressed enough, he will start throwing a baseball again and taking batting practice off a pitching machine, manager Oliver Marmol said.

Carlson, who was slated to be the Opening Day starter in center field following a strong Spring Training, collided with diving right fielder Jordan Walker on March 25 and fell hard onto his left shoulder. An MRI that night revealed a sprain to the AC joint in the shoulder. (Last updated: April 19)

RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain)
Expected return: Early May
Middleton, a free-agent signee expected to be a key cog in the bullpen this season, is progressing through his throwing program and could be close to starting a Minor League rehab session, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.

For the past week, Middleton has been throwing for two days, resting for a day and then throwing for two more days. Friday was a day off for the right-handed reliever, but he is expected to work Saturday and Sunday by throwing from 110 feet. The Cards are hopeful that Middleton will progress to throwing off a mound in the coming days.

Middleton, 30, last pitched March 7 in a Spring Training game. In three innings during Spring Training, Middleton did not allow a run. The Cardinals signed Middleton following a strong finish to the 2023 season as a reliever for the Yankees. (Last updated: April 19)

CF Tommy Edman (right wrist surgery)
Expected return: Late May
Edman, who has yet to fully go through baseball activities after undergoing wrist surgery last October, was scheduled to begin a tee progression during the week of April 15. The advancement now, per manager Oliver Marmol, is that switch-hitting Edman will be allowed to swing at balls on a tee from both the right side and left side of the plate. Because of previous pain and swelling, the Edman had been limited to swinging from the left side.

Edman, who signed a two-year, $16 million contract extension in January to avoid salary arbitration proceedings, was shut down four times in Spring Training because of lingering pain and swelling in his wrist. Edman said he got second and third opinions from independent doctors during Spring Training, and he was assured that the wrist is structurally sound. (Last updated: April 16)

RHP Riley O'Brien (right forearm strain)
Expected return: May
O’Brien underwent an MRI on his strained right forearm that revealed no structural damage, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said on April 1. “We’re in a good spot and [the injury] is what we thought,” Marmol said. “Nothing alarming and we’re glad that we shut it down when we did.”

O’Brien, 29, allowed one run in one inning against the Dodgers on March 28, but he reported tightness in his forearm to the team the next day while playing catch and was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31. (Last updated: April 1)

LHP Drew Rom (left shoulder biceps tendinitis)
Expected return: Mid-April
Rom, who made his MLB debut with the Cardinals last season after coming over in a trade with the Orioles, was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 25. The lefty injured his pitching arm during Spring Training and will likely need several rehab starts prior to being game ready again. (Last updated: March 28)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

None.

• More injury news