Rising Young Cardinals Slugger Set To Return To Lineup After Stint On Injured List

The St. Louis Cardinals are inching toward full strength.

St. Louis has been without the services of young slugger Nolan Gorman since August 12th as he's dealt with a back injury, but he officially was reinstated from the injured list Friday, according to the club. 

"Nolan Gorman has been activated from the (injured list)," the club said on Twitter. "Jose Fermín has been optioned to Memphis (AAA). Drew VerHagen has been placed on the bereavement list. Guillermo Zuñiga has been recalled from Memphis."

Although the Cardinals have turned their focus to the 2024 campaign, it's certainly nice to have Gorman back in the lineup. The 23-year-old has been a revelation in the Cardinals' lineup this season. St. Louis has had a down year, to say the least, but the young slugger has been a major bright spot. In 104 games, Gorman has slugged 24 home runs, driven in 67 runs, and has collected 16 doubles to go along with a .241/.328/.487 slash line. 

Even though the Cardinals won't be in the postseason this year, the fact that Gorman will return to the lineup and rack up more repetitions this season will only help in the long run. The Cardinals will be busy this offseason as the club looks to get back to the postseason next year and Gorman is sure to be a big part of the team's core. 

While the Cardinals haven't had much success this season, Gorman has been a big positive. St. Louis fans certainly should be happy to see him back in the lineup moving forward.