Cardinals make decision to option outfielder after Reds series

Following their series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday optioned center fielder Victor Scott II to Triple-A Memphis and reinstated outfielder Nathan Church from the 10-day injured list. Church, who recently completed a three-game rehab assignment after recovering from a left shoulder strain, is expected to take Scott’s place on the active roster as St Louis begins a road trip against the New York Mets.

Scott’s demotion comes as a surprise, considering his sterling defensive reputation and the clutch sacrifice bunt he laid down in Sunday’s win. The 25-year-old never found consistency at the plate throughout the 2026 season, managing just a .194/.276/.258 slash line with a .534 OPS across 184 plate appearances. He recorded only six extra-base hits, including two home runs and four doubles, while producing a 57 wRC+. On the bases, he stole nine bags but was caught stealing four times, matching his caught-stealing figure from all of 2025, when he swiped 34 bases.

While Scott’s speed remains among the best in baseball at 29.7 feet per second, ranking in the 98th percentile, it has declined from 30.2 feet-per-second he reached last season. His 8.7% walk rate and 23.9% strikeout rate were manageable, but his hard-contact profile was among the weakest in the majors, ranking sixth-worst among players with at least 150 plate appearances.

Defensively, Scott remained valuable but did not replicate his stellar 2025 production. Last season he accumulated 12 Defensive Runs Saved and 16 Outs Above Average, while also finishing with 17 OAA according to Baseball Reference data and contributing 2.2 WAR largely through his glove. In 2026, however, he logged 3 Outs Above Average and minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved across 471 innings in center field.

Church, also 25, returns with a .247/.282/.390 batting line, five home runs, six doubles, and an 88 wRC+ through 156 plate appearances. He appeared in 27 games during his rookie season and has shown enough production to earn another opportunity. His impressive run at Triple-A last year, when he hit .335/.400/.521 in 242 plate appearances, only strengthened his case.

The move also speaks to a logjam in the Cardinals’ outfield. With Lars Nootbaar back from injury, Jordan Walker emerging as a fixture in right field, and Church returning, playing time became increasingly limited for Scott as St. Louis, sitting at 35-28 and second in the NL Central, revamps its roster for the next stretch of the season.