Cardinals to place outfielder on IL

The Cardinals are recalling center fielder Victor Scott II ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Cubs, according to a report from The Athletic’s Katie Woo Sunday morning. Woo suggests that Scott will take the place of center fielder Michael Siani on the active roster as he heads to the 10-day injured list due to an oblique issue that cropped up during Saturday’s game.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Siani, 25, as he was establishing himself as a long-term option for the club in center when he exited Saturday’s game due to tightness on his right side and was sent for an MRI, as noted by MLB.com’s John Denton Saturday. 

The results of that MRI are not yet clear, though the center fielder evidently will require at least a 10-day stint on the shelf to recover. 

Saturday’s shortened performance ended a fantastic hot stretch for Siani that dated back to June 24. In his previous 31 appearances entering Saturday’s game, the center fielder had slashed a phenomenal .354/.391/.415, though that stretch of offensive success came with an eye-popping .492 BABIP that was unsustainable.

Still, Siani’s growth as a hitter has been impressive because he entered May with a ghastly .128/.244/.179 slash line. His improved play since then has brought his wRC+ up to 79, a figure that’s still well below average but is enough to make him a viable regular in conjunction with his elite defense in center field and a strong 14-for-17 track record on the basepaths. 

Siani’s +15 Outs Above Average ranks second among all center fielders behind Jacob Young and fourth among all MLB players this year, while his +10 Defensive Runs Saved ties him with defensive phenoms Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael A. Taylor for sixth among all outfielders.

Taking Siani’s place on the Cardinals’ active roster is Scott, a fellow glove-first center fielder who bats from the left side. Scott made his big league debut earlier this year as the club’s surprising choice for Opening Day center fielder but struggled badly in the role with a brutal .085/.138/.136 slash line (-22 wRC+) in 21 games before he was ultimately optioned back down to Triple-A. 

Scott’s struggles have continued in the minors as he’s hit just .219/.302/.319 in 74 games at the highest level of the minors this year despite an impressive strikeout rate of just 14.3 percent.

It’s not currently clear if Scott will take over for Siani as a regular fixture in center field or will instead be used as a defensive replacement off the bench. After all, the club could utilize either Lars Nootbaar or Tommy Pham in center field and both players would be a significant offensive improvement over Scott at the position. 

Such a setup would likely leave Brendan Donovan to move from second base into an outfield corner to open the keystone up for Nolan Gorman, who has struggled to a .199/.272/.408 slash line (91 wRC+) in 99 games with the club this year. 

It’s also possible that Scott’s call-up to the majors could indicate that Siani’s injury isn’t likely to require a major absence, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested Saturday that a lengthier absence for Siani could lead the Cardinals to try and work a right-handed bat such as Luken Baker or even former top prospect Jordan Walker into their predominantly left-handed bench mix.