The Cardinals activated Corey Dickerson from the 15-day injured list earlier today, but it will still be a while before the St. Louis outfield is back at full strength. Tyler O’Neill was expected to be reinstated from his own IL stint this weekend, but the Gold Glover (sidelined since June 20 due to a hamstring strain) is now dealing with a bruised right wrist after being hit by a pitch in a minor league rehab game on Wednesday.
“There’s definitely some serious inflammation in there,” O’Neill told reporters, including Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “At least there was [Thursday] but it’s gone down a good bit. The next 48 to 72 hours are going to be key for me.”
O’Neill remained in the game after being hit, and while he will undergo more tests on his wrist, initial x-rays were negative. Even if the wrist problem does end up being relatively minor, it still represents another setback in an injury-plagued year for O’Neill, who has played in only 45 games due to his hamstring injury and a previous shoulder problem that also required a visit to the injured list. O’Neill has hit only .241/.292/.361 over 185 plate appearances, a big step backwards after his breakout 2021 campaign.
Harrison Bader’s return is also questionable, as manager Oliver Marmol told reporters (including MLB.com’s John Denton) today that Bader likely wouldn’t return from the IL until after the All-Star break. Bader has already missed more than the minimum 10 days due to plantar fasciitis, and while he is participating in some “light baseball drills,” the outfielder is wearing a protective walking boot when not training.
Bader “needs to be close to it where he feels like he can explode, hold his back side when he’s hitting and not feeling like he’s compromised defensively,” Marmol said. “The heel is still grabbing at him. Not nearly as much, but if he ramps up, he might be back at ground zero.”
Without Bader and O’Neill, Dylan Carlson is the only player remaining from the Cardinals’ first-choice starting outfield. Dickerson’s return will help fill the void, and the emergence of rookies Brendan Donovan and Juan Yepez has allowed the Cards to further make up for those lost regulars. However, St. Louis was certainly for O’Neill to perhaps help spark a struggling lineup, as the Cardinals have been shut out four times in their past seven games (including today’s 1-0 loss to the Phillies).
Yadier Molina is another missing regular, as the catcher went on the IL due to knee soreness in mid-June. In the latest update on Molina’s condition, Cards president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including the Belleville News-Democrat’s Jeff Jones) that Molina isn’t yet ready to start baseball activities, though the catcher did say he is making some progress.
O’Neill is not catching a break, he has a been injured several times this season. After last season, that he had a breakout season for the Cards. Hopefully, this recent injury is not serious and can be back soon. As a matter of fact, we need them all Yadi, Bader, O’Neill and Matz to come back from the injured list.
I hope bader comes back from the IL in time for the deadline to be dealt to the Yankees
Plantar fasciitis is a tough injury. Big Mac lost almost two years because of it. Not even roids could get him back on the field.
It’s also what caused Albert Pujols to decline so quickly and become one of the slowest runners in the game, but I doubt Bader’s dealing with such a chronic issue.
Here’s a question. If the Cards make the postseason, do they leave Pujols or even Molina off the roster?
Why would they? Pujols still does pretty well as a platoon DH, while Molina is still easily the team’s best catching option both offensively (as sad as that is) and defensively, and his bat should pick up at least a little upon his return once his knees are at least semi-healthy again.
Both of them are at least better roster options than what the team is getting out of Knizner, Herrera, Romine, Dickerson, Nootbaar, Capel, or Sosa so far this year..
It’s a chronic issue for Bader. He tried to ply through it from Spring training until he couldn’t take it anymore.
Why? The Cardinals are buyers, not sellers. They’re looking to add a starting pitcher, not give out one of their starting outfielders.
Corey Dickerson can breathe easy for now BUT DFA is lurking.
It all pays the same.
Being a professional athlete is about more than just money, especially when pride is involved.
Lanidrac – You’re talking the old-school days. ‘Show me the money’ is today’s theme.
The sooner, the better. Why is Dickerson in St. Louis and Burleson in Memphis??
@Bassrun: Bingo, bingo, bingo.
Burleson is their best outfielder in the minors but he is t on the 40 man roster. They need to move him on the 40 man roster a.s.a.p.
Why was Capel on roster (Mo traded for him) Dickerson (Mo signed him as free agent) Nootbaar for some reason is a fan favorite so they can cheer “Noooooot until he strikes out.
Yadi needs to come back to help lead and add that presence to the clubhouse.
He’d rather sulk in PR.
And some would rather skulk on the internet, Donny.
We definitely need these guys back, but their absence doesn’t explain this latest hitting slump. Jeff Albert is a plague. He has no answers when pitchers around the league inevitably begin making adjustments to our hitters. This is about the time he and Shildt had it out last season. Whatever changed after that exchange led to an offensive resurgence and eventually a 17 game win streak. Something needs to happen again this year.
Dismissing Shildt is coming back to haunt the team. Hitting is, in no way shape of form easy, but allowing Albert’s (not Pujols) philosophy to continue is not the answer. Too much analytics is overkill. Let them play! Look at the progress Shildt’s philosophy improved the team once he arrived. Unreal the the hitting coach has the pull over the manager. Hate to say it, cause bleed StL, but it’s what the front office gets. Mo, you and Jeff need to go.
Here’s what I don’t get…. The club says that Albert is preaching his approach to hitting throughout the system, from the minors to the major league team. The minor leaguers seem to be hitting well. Why does the major league team have such problems? Perhaps the analytics-driven approach is fine, but the man isn’t effective as a hands-on coach.
I think that’s possible even probable. I’ve heard his philosophy/system is contact oriented, which is fine. That’s the style of offense I prefer to watch and the style most of the hitters on the ML roster seem to utilize. But our hitters are taking it to an extreme. They almost refuse to take a walk. Lots of outs on weak contact on probable ball fours. Outside of Goldy and Arenado (and Pujols) most of our hitters can’t tell the difference between a strike they can handle and crush and a pitchers’ strike they should take because all it would produce is weak contact. The basic system might be fine, but adjustments have to be made. Shildt said last year our hitters looked like they never have a plan. I still see evidence of that this season.
It can certainly be a combination of a lot of factors and some of those factors may work in one area and not work in another. An over-emphasis on information is likely one key issue. Paralysis by analysis. Hitting is not meant to be centered around overthinking hence the old saying grip it and rip it. If you get in the box with 50 different scenarios bouncing around in your head, you’re unlikely to properly execute any of them.
@DonOsbourne: Schildt didn’t say it looked like our batters didn’t have a plan. It was Tommy Edman of all people who publicly said that to the media.
They haven’t had problems until just this past week. They were hitting very well for the couple of months before that. Just relax, and the bats will heat up again before long.
not really. the same problems matheny had, shildt had, and now oli has. it’s all a clubhouse cancer.
Matheny’s problem was being entirely unsuitable for this role and only in it because he was a favorite of the owner. The team turned away Tito Francona because Matheny was a “man of faith”. The team won in spite of Matheny’s shortcomings until the roster was too depleted to do so any longer.
You can’t complain about Jeff Albert now without also giving him credit when they hit well last September and this May and June. Hitting fluctuates sometimes for both players and teams.
I’m sure there’s a reason Molina is vacationing in Puerto Rico rather than being with the team despite the fact he’ll have the rest of his life to vacation in Puerto Rico following this season, but I really wish he was still with the club even if hurt. His presence and guidance are invaluable.
Dickerson will help fill the void? Since when?! It’s highly questionable as to whether he’s actually a better option than Capel, the guy they optioned back to AAA to activate him. Unless he improves in a hurry, he’s still looking at DFA once both O’Neill and Bader return.
It just wouldn’t be a baseball season without the cardinals whining about injuries. Golfers are tougher than St. Louis’s roster
Molina—— there is a lot more going on outside of Molina’s obvious knee pain of which he has pushed through the past 2 seasons.
Molina has been disrespected by the Cardinals manager Marmol this entire season!! Climaxed by Marmol making a public statement about one of his daily line ups. Marmol said to the effect—— “This is the best line up of players the Cardinals can put on the field!” Molina was not in his line up.
Marmol & their hitting coach—-appears to act Jealous of Pujols, Molina, Wainwright, and evening Paul Goldschmidt. Simple fact is the Current Cardinals players respect the work ethics and career success of the veteran players. Plus those players are constantly seen seeking advice from those veterans in the dugout—- during the game!!!! Rarely do you see the younger players seek help or advice from their manager or hitting coach.
Molina has had enough of being put down by his manager—- disrespected by a hitting coach, who doesn’t want pure contact hitting to be used anymore.
So after Marmol’s statement concerning a lineup without Yadi in it——— that was the last Straw for Yadi!!!!!
He actually Quit the team and went backe to Puerto Rico.
Who can blame Yadi????? He’s dedicated his whole life to the St. Louis Cardinals!!!!
When it’s smacked in your face by your manager the team is better of without you—- that’s tough!!! And who wants to stay or work in an environment where you feel unwanted!!!
Thanks for all you have done in representing the St. Louis Cardinals —Yadi!!!
Extreme, but probably some truth to it.
totally agree. marmol doesn’t have players back. marmol has a piss poor attitude
17 Dizzy: I agree that Yadi has quit on his teammates or he would be doing his rehab and strength conditioning in St. Louis and be on the bench as a mentor. I love Yadi but he should go ahead and tell everyone what is going on with his personal life in Puerto Rico . Something is up there for him to basically quit the team and have no updates.
I think he’ll come back after the all-star break to get the battery record with Wainwright.
I’m sure his injuries are relatively valid – and his teenage son is recovering from surgery – but he basically took off a month for vacation during the season. That’s probably more pro-Yadi than pro-Cardinals.
The Cardinals seem okay with it, but they’re hinting Yadi’s communication is on par with Carlos Martinez.