Blaze Jordan’s night ended early Thursday, and the Cardinals are left waiting for answers.
The St. Louis third baseman left the game against the Baltimore Orioles after an awkward defensive play in the top of the eighth inning, and he needed help getting off the field. Derrick Goold reported that Jordan was assisted by manager Oliver Marmol and an athletic trainer because he could not put much weight on his left foot.
“Blaze Jordan is being helped off the field by Oli Marmol and an athletic trainer. He is not putting much weight on his left foot as he gets assistance down the stairs and into the dugout,” Goold wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Blaze Jordan has been removed from the game after making this awkward tag
— STL Sports Central (@STLSprtsCntrl) August 27, 2026
Appears to be ankle related. Nolan Gorman takes over at 3B #STLCards pic.twitter.com/t1vFvqgBoq
Jordan appeared to hurt himself while trying to tag a runner in motion, and the pain was immediate. The exact issue has not been confirmed, though there is speculation it could be an ankle injury rather than a foot injury. After Jordan exited, Nolan Gorman moved in at third base.
It was a frustrating turn for Jordan after he had already delivered one of the Cardinals’ biggest swings of the night. In the bottom of the second, he crushed a 416-foot home run to center field, giving St. Louis an early spark.
Blaze Jordan starts the scoring with a 3-run shot 💪 pic.twitter.com/DP1V3sHIGS
— MLB (@MLB) August 27, 2026
The injury adds another concern for a Cardinals club that has already seen multiple players land on the injured list recently, including shortstop Masyn Winn and pitcher Hunter Dobbins. For Jordan, the timing is especially tough. The rookie entered Thursday hitting .246 with two home runs and 25 RBIs in 57 games and 184 at-bats.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Have Another Third Base Concern to Watch
A new third-base wrinkle surfaced for the Cardinals when Blaze Jordan left Mondays game against the Orioles after injuring his left foot and ankle. Nolan Gorman took over at third base once Jordan was removed, giving St. Louis an immediate in-game answer, but also reminding the club how quickly the position can become a moving target.
The Cardinals are expecting Jordan to miss some time while the exact severity of the injury is still being determined, which leaves the situation in a holding pattern for now. For a team trying to keep its infield stable, the next few days will matter, because the path forward at third base may depend on how long Jordan is sidelined and how the club chooses to cover the spot in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Have One Clear Problem Standing Between Progress And Contention
The early optimism around the Cardinals has faded into a familiar midseason reality, as a strong start has given way to a record below .500 and a spot more than five games back in the wild-card race. There has still been reason to watch, especially with young players such as JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson showing encouraging growth, but the standings have a way of sharpening the conversation in St. Louis.
What stands out most now is how clearly the bullpen has separated itself from the rest of the roster. A 4.48 ERA from that group has left the Cardinals without the kind of dependable late-inning arms contenders usually lean on, and the trade deadline only underscored the issue after the club moved on from pieces like Dustin May and JoJo Romero. The front office appears poised to treat relief help as an offseason priority, because progress from the young core will only go so far if the run prevention behind it never stabilizes. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Got An Unexpected Rotation Lift At The Perfect Time
With Andre Pallante and Hunter Dobbins sidelined, the Cardinals had to get creative and turned to reliever Gordon Graceffo to open a bullpen game. He handled the assignment about as cleanly as they could have hoped, firing three perfect innings with four strikeouts and giving St. Louis a much-needed bridge in a spot where innings could have started to pile up fast.
The relief came at a useful moment because the club did not bring up a new starter, instead lining up Quinn Mathews to take Pallantes turn while expecting Pallante back soon. St. Louis would love to get some length from Mathews and Kyle Leahy in the next few turns, since every extra out matters when the bullpen has already been asked to cover more than it usually would. [Read more 🡒]