Cardinals Claim White Sox Outfielder Off Waivers

Pereira was designated for assignment by the White Sox on Monday to make room for the newly acquired Joey Bart on their 40-man roster.

The 25-year-old has struggled to remain healthy in 2026, landing on the injured list three times. First, Pereira missed 10 games in early April due to a left ankle sprain. Later that month, he landed on the 10-day injured list again because of a right pectoral strain.

After missing more than a month, Pereira returned but was placed on the 7-day injured list on June 18 after suffering a concussion while making a leaping catch the previous day against the New York Yankees.

Those injuries have limited Pereira to just 27 games this season. Across 80 at-bats, he is slashing .225/.284/.438 with four home runs and 11 RBI. Strikeouts have been a glaring issue as Pereira has struck out 30 times while drawing just five walks.

Across 77 career MLB games, Pereira has struck out 98 times in 238 at-bats.

Still, the Cardinals are hoping Pereira can find lasting success at the major league level. He showed his impressive power last season across the Yankees' and Tampa Bay Rays' Triple-A affiliates, clubbing 21 home runs while posting an .867 OPS over 78 games.

Pereira still has upside despite his early offensive struggles and injury history. In a Cardinals outfield that recently lost Lars Nootbaar at the trade deadline to the Arizona Diamondbacks, this may be Pereira's best opportunity to establish himself as an everyday player.

St. Louis's outfield currently includes Jordan Walker, Nathan Church, Bryan Torres, and Nelson Velázquez. However, Walker has missed the previous two games with right knee inflammation. If he is forced to miss extended time or lands on the injured list, Pereira's role could become even larger.

Nonetheless, the addition of Pereira should prove valuable against left-handed pitching. This season, Pereira is hitting .269 with a .790 OPS against southpaws.

St. Louis (57-58) has fallen to 3.5 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot after going 7-13 since the All-Star break. The Cardinals open a three-game series at home against the Colorado Rockies on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 8:15 pm ET.