Joshua Baez’s first big-league run has been impressive enough to stick in the memory, but it’s also ended in a way the Cardinals would rather not have seen. The outfielder was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain this week, and because of where the move landed on the calendar, he won’t be eligible to return this season.
That pushes the end of his 2026 campaign to now, with St. Louis fans waiting until 2027 to see him again.
The injury doesn’t sound like a major one, and it shouldn’t interfere with his offseason work. Baez finishes his first taste of the majors with a .230/.278/.510 line, seven home runs, 14 total extra-base hits, 18 RBI, and 18 runs in 108 plate appearances. He also posted a 112 wRC+, a strong number for a 23-year-old trying to prove he belongs.
Baez’s IL move comes as the Cardinals keep reshuffling their infield picture, and one of the other notable moves has already turned official. Ramon Urias has been released after the club designated him for assignment when JJ Wetherholt came off the injured list earlier this week.
Urias was brought in before the season to help with infield depth, but his year never really got going. He hit the injured list in May with tennis elbow, then had the same problem flare up in his other arm during his rehab assignment.
In all, he played 43 games for St. Louis and hit .151/.260/.326 with four home runs in 100 plate appearances.
With Baez out and Urias released, the Cardinals brought Cesar Prieto back to the active roster for another look. The 27-year-old has had a limited run with St.
Louis, collecting just three hits in 41 plate appearances over the last two seasons, and he hasn’t done enough defensively to make a strong case. He looks like a likely DFA candidate this offseason as the Cardinals continue their roster work.
All of that movement opens the door for more changes in the Cardinals’ infield mix. At the moment, Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, and Thomas Saggese are expected to make up the starting infield unless the club makes a move for a third baseman. Jose Fermin and Blaze Jordan could also be part of the picture, while Nolan Gorman is unlikely to be back with the team next year.
St. Louis has two open spots on its 40-man roster right now, though Max Rajcic will count against it again in the offseason because he’s on the 60-day injured list, unless the Cardinals decide to try to pass him through waivers.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Cleared The Way For A Third Base Battle
The Cardinals trimmed their infield picture by releasing Ramon Urias after he had been designated for assignment, a move that further reshapes the clubs options at third base heading into the offseason. Urias was limited to 43 games this season because of elbow injuries, and his time in St. Louis never really got on track offensively, as he hit .151 with four home runs in 100 plate appearances.
His departure leaves the Cardinals with a clearer runway to sort out the hot corner from within, and it adds another layer to a position that already figures to draw plenty of attention in camp. St. Louis has several internal candidates to consider, so the release does not settle the spot so much as it opens the door wider for a competition that will be worth watching when the roster starts taking shape for next season. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Just Got A New Reason To Trust The Plan
Oliver Marmols upbeat view of the Cardinals direction adds another layer to a fan base that has spent the last stretch waiting for the club to get back to its standard. Even with the recent playoff absences hanging over the conversation, the message out of the dugout is that the organization believes it has a workable system and a clearer path forward than it did a year or two ago.
For Cardinals followers, the appeal is less about a quick fix than the sense that the front office is trying to assemble something sustainable. The longer view points toward a roster that could be in the postseason mix by 2027, which is still more projection than promise, but it is enough to keep the conversation centered on progress instead of frustration. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Have A Catching Decision Fans Cant Ignore Much Longer
Lance Lynn has seen enough behind the plate to appreciate what Pedro Pags already brings to the Cardinals, and he recently made the comparison that tends to stop fans in their tracks: the young catchers defensive work has drawn a Yadier Molina reference. That kind of praise carries real weight in St. Louis, where catching is never just about handling a staff, but about living up to a long line of standards that still shape how the position is viewed inside the organization.
At the same time, Leo Bernal has quietly worked his way into the conversation by becoming the primary catcher and earning steady playing time on the strength of his defense. That leaves the Cardinals trying to balance development, performance and the unavoidable pull of the franchises catching legacy, with Pags and Bernal each representing a different path forward. The longer this plays out, the harder it becomes to ignore that the club may soon have to choose which skill set it wants to bet on. [Read more 🡒]