It’s been a slow start to the season for the St. Louis Cardinals. They’re currently ranked last in the National League Central while being eight games back. But the franchise finally received some good news on Saturday, as it sounds like Matt Carpenter is making a return from injury.
The veteran infielder is officially being activated from the injured list, according to Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It sounds like Matt Carpenter will return to the lineup sooner, rather than later.
“The Cardinals activated INF Matt Carpenter from the injured list. INF José Fermín has been optioned to Memphis.”
With that said Carpenter will be back for Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. It’s not clear where he’ll be batting in the order but the Cardinals will have a nice boost to their offensive production, which is much needed. Before falling to injury, Matt Carpenter played in just three games and recorded a .300 batting average and one run. Hopefully, he returns in full force and helps St. Louis get back in the win column.
This team was a long shot to be a playoff contender anyway but it’ll be nice having a veteran presence back in the lineup. The Cardinals still need plenty of help on the roster but Matt Carpenter should be given a warm welcome on Saturday.
Cardinals future outlook
The Cardinals have several top prospects the club is excited about, however, most of them are still in the Minor Leagues. Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby are two pitcher prospects who are still developing. They both have potential of being talented pitchers in the team’s rotation at some point down the road.
Additionally, the Cardinals have an exciting outfielder prospect in Victor Scott II. When it comes down to it, St. Louis needs time to develop their young prospects before promoting them to the Majors. We’ve seen teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers find a ton of success developing their prospects and the Cardinals are following that same path amid their rebuild.
With that said, the short term outlook isn’t great. However, the front office is in line to acquire more exciting prospects through the Draft or even trade. So, look for the Cardinals to do what they can to improve the team with young talent over the next several seasons. If it all works out accordingly, St. Louis could be back in the playoff mix in two or three seasons.
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