Cardinals Top Prospect Promoted Following Slugger's Disappointing Injury Update

The St. Louis Cardinals are prepared to battle the Boston Red Sox on Friday at 1:10 PM CDT but will be without one of their top young sluggers for the entire series.

Despite most insiders disregarding the Cardinals as a genuine competitor before 2025 started, St. Louis is 4-2 and atop the National League Central with a 0.5 game lead over the hated Chicago Cubs.

If the Cardinals hope to maintain their lead at the top of their division, they'll have to do so without an essential piece to the franchise's future but could find relief from an aspiring big-leaguer.

"Infielder Nolan Gorman has been placed on the 10-day injured list (right hamstring strain), retroactive to April 2," the Cardinals announced Friday morning. "INF Thomas Saggese has been recalled from Memphis (AAA)."

Gorman hasn't seen much playing time this year due to Nolan Arenado's presence at third base -- the position he's expected to take over once the 10-time Gold Glove defender leaves St. Louis.

The 24-year-old has logged four hits including one double, one home run and one RBI in eight at-bats across two games played for the Cardinals this season. Although a small sample size, Gorman's start to 2025 is encouraging, considering how poorly he performed last year.

Fortunately, Saggese's promotion should provide the Cardinals with a solid right-handed bat off the bench and give the 22-year-old infielder some much-needed big-league experience while he looks to earn his way to the show.

Saggese batted .204 with one home run, two doubles, four RBIs and a .556 OPS in 49 at-bats across 18 games played after debuting for the Cardinals last year.

Although Saggese struggled after debuting in 2024, he's shown great potential in the minor leagues and could be impactful for the Cardinals someday. It'll be interesting to see how comfortable he is at the plate for St. Louis while he temporarily takes Gorman's place on the roster.