With Kolten Wong unlikely to play for at least “several days,” the Cardinals will turn to Tommy Edman at second base and return Matt Carpenter to regular duties at third base, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wong is undergoing an MRI to determine the severity of a left hamstring strain he suffered in last night’s game, and his status for the remainder of the Cardinals’ season is up in the air at the moment. The 24-year-old Edman is the latest in a seemingly ceaseless parade of largely unheralded Cardinals prospects to immediately emerge as an impact contributor in St. Louis. A sixth-round pick in 2016, he’s never sniffed a Top 100 ranking, entering the season 12th among Cards prospects at Baseball America and 20th at Fangraphs. But Edman has hit at a .289/.325/.481 clip with 10 homers, 15 doubles, five triples, 13 steals and a 17.9 percent strikeout rate through his first 83 MLB games (302 plate appearances). He’d supplanted the struggling Carpenter as the Cards’ primary third baseman but will now slide over to second base, where he’s logged 857 minor league innings in his pro career.
More from the division…
- Pirates righty Jameson Taillon is taking as optimistic an approach to his second Tommy John surgery as possible, writes Adam Berry of MLB.com. The right-hander feels that he used the downtime from his first surgery in 2014 to improve other areas of his game and believes he can do the same this time around. “I’m seriously confident I’m going to find a way to get better from this one,” said Taillon. “Whether it’s mechanics, how can I take stress off my elbow, how can I get stronger, how can I age better, how can I dive into analytics and video.” Taillon acknowledged that he lost “a lot, a lot, a lot of money” because of the timing of the injury, which came on the heels of his first trip through arbitration and will wipe out his entire second year of arbitration. However, the 27-year-old also said he hopes to pitch for another seven or eight seasons upon returning from surgery and isn’t focusing on the more short-term financial ramifications.
- Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor had already gone home for the season and was in the process of applying for an offseason job with FedEx when he got the news that he’d instead be joining the MLB club, Robert Murray of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Taylor’s career has been filled with ups and downs, but after a series of injuries and poor performances, he put himself back on the map with a strong 2018 showing that landed him on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster. He’s been limited to a pinch-hitting role thus far but relishes the opportunity to not only be in the dugout for a playoff race but also to pick the brain of veterans players like Christian Yelich on a daily basis. “You want rookies feeling comfortable and welcome,” Yelich said of his talks with Taylor. “All of that is creating a culture – a winning culture.”
Edman is a lifesaver in this situation. Losing Wong is nothing like losing Yelich for Milwaukee, but as far as I’m concerned Wong has been the team c0-MVP with Flaherty since the ASB.
If Edman wasn’t around they’d have some big problems.
I’d have to include Fowler in the conversation. He’s done a really good job at the top of the lineup, those two up top have made it easier on everyone in the bottom two thirds.
Matt Carpenter needs to “salsa up” and put on some “I Am Second” videos and start praying again. Once he signed that contract extension, he stopped caring as much this season.
That is ridiculous. Carp’s offensive woes have nothing to do with effort, nor attitude.
You obviously don’t follow the team very closely. He’s working just as hard as he always does this year, this is the same dude that was shut down for fatigue from working TOO hard. Sometimes players struggle because of a simple timing/mechanics issue, this is absolutely not because he doesn’t care and/or doesn’t work hard
Ignore old Wilford. He’s just a troll.
Age and bat speed. He’s getting older and the bat is slowing down. Besides, he still swings for the fences and NEVER CHOKES DOWN ON THE BAT. He will need to adjust his ego or ride pine.
Good teams all develop players. Never tanking always being competitive. 12 years in a row now with above .500 record. Not many teams can compare to that. All teams are going to lose players to injuries. The good teams always have options and opportunities for someone to step in and show they belong. That’s the difference between pretenders and contenders.
Much as I hate to say it, you need only look at this year’s Yankees to see how important depth is.
Not many teams can boast about that kind of success rate, and not just baseball., in all sports. Cards are the gold standard, and unlike the Dodgers, Yankees and a few others, they mostly develop their own talent rather than buy it.
Dodgers don’t develop their own talent?
lol you’re high
That feeling when you hold on so tight to an outdated narrative that can be disproven pretty easily.
Maybe Kolten will pinch hit today and it would be legionary.
For once a great comment.
I’m afraid themed botched that comment, too.
Themed must be 85 years old. Nothing wrong with that and not making fun of him. He just can’t spell, and he analyzes baseball like it’s 1950.
It would be a great comment if Wong played American Legion baseball.
I’m hoping the pirates can sign Taillion to a very highly incentivized with a low(ish) guarantee long term contract. Perfect chance to buy low as he may never be a starter again. (though i’m sure they’ll try)
something in the rage of 2-5M guarantee with incentives to take him to 15M early on and then 20m in later years pending the length of the deal and give him an opt out after so many years.
Give the pirates a possible quality pitcher that would likely still be a bit cheaper than the open market.
Gives tallion the chance to make money even though is career might end sooner than later.
I know, I know.. its not going to happen… but i’m hoping as it seems like a win win.. unless Taillion is pretty sure he’ll come back to be a 1/2 type starter. that can get a 20-30M$ deal in the open market. in a few years which has no real guarantee other than league minimum.n (he gets another major injury is likely done)
Joe- As much as I would like to agree with you I cannot.Taillon has proven to be injury prone and many have not had success the second time around after TJ.I do not think that he would consider being a reliever as he had success as a starter when healthy.The range of salaries that you mention is very great and I do not see the Prates paying that kind of money for an injury prone pitcher even with incentives.
He is also the union representative and has said in the past that he would not do a deal in advance like others have done with the Pirates.
It seems to me that pitching is such a precarious position that injury prone pitchers will find it difficult to get long term high rate contracts from anyone in the future.For every Max Scherzer there is a David Price and a Yu Darvish.
that’s why its a heavily incentivized. if by chance he never pitches again the low gurantee isn’t going to hurt the team much. If he can only come back as a half decent reliever that is still a pretty good price. If he comes back as a starter at some level UP TO 15/20M per year is a decent price.
Low risk by the pirates while giving Taillon gets paid regardless if he plays or not. So win-win. Drop in an opt out after his rookie contract expires (or an extra year since hes going ot miss next year) should be be a cy-young candidate (or something along those lines) gives him the option to get a HUGE payday still. so VERY win win. he gets paid more than he would in Arb if he plays and still has the option to get a nice payday.
Pretty sure he said that (about not doing an extension), before his third major injury/illness.
even as a union rep, he has to think about him and his family before the union, given the condition change in his life him walking the statement back would not seem unreasonable.
I know, its still a pipe dream but with an opt-out i’d jump on it if i where him.