The St. Louis Cardinals are placing one of their rising young talents, Jordan Walker, on the injured list, but manager Oliver Marmol remains optimistic about his quick return.
“I don’t expect it to go beyond the 10-day IL stint,” Marmol told ESPN. “We should have him back soon.”
Walker is dealing with inflammation in his wrist and has officially been placed on the 10-day injured list. It’s a setback for the Cardinals, especially considering Walker has been on a hot streak — batting .333 with a home run and 10 RBIs over his last 12 games.
After an impressive rookie year in 2023, where he hit .276 with 51 RBIs, Walker experienced a dip in form last season, finishing with a .201 average.
To help fill the gap left by Walker, the Cardinals have called up outfielder Ryan Vilade from Triple-A. Vilade has been performing well in the minors, posting a .280 average with five home runs this season.
The Cardinals have been one of the league’s hottest teams lately, climbing to second place in the NL Central after a strong May. Walker’s recent contributions have been a big part of that surge. His absence is a blow, but the team hopes others like Victor Scott can step up in his place.
St. Louis, one of MLB’s most storied franchises with 11 World Series titles, hasn’t made the playoffs since 2022 — their last NL Central title. They’ll face the Texas Rangers on Sunday, with first pitch at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Cardinals currently sit at 33-25 on the season.
