The Cardinals may not have much left to play for in the standings, but they could still get one of their most intriguing young players back before the season runs out.
JJ Wetherholt has been out since Aug. 29 with wrist tendinitis, and the latest update points toward a return during St. Louis’ current homestand.
Earlier in the week, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the expectation was Wetherholt could make it back before the homestand ends.
Wetherholt then offered his own update, saying he does not expect to go on a minor league rehab assignment and that the goal remains to be active during the homestand, provided Saturday’s workout went well, as Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat shared on X.
"JJ Wetherholt said this afternoon he doesn’t anticipate going down to Memphis for a rehab assignment, given the limited time left in the season. Hope is that he checks out well enough after today’s work that he can be active during the homestand,"
That homestand runs through Sunday, Sep. 20, which means the rookie could be back within the next week if everything breaks right.
St. Louis opened a nine-game homestand Friday against the Chicago White Sox, winning the first game before dropping Saturday’s contest, 6-5.
The Cardinals have seven games left on the homestand, starting Sunday with the rubber match against Chicago. After that, they’ll face the San Francisco Giants in a three-game set beginning Monday, then close out that stretch with three games against the Washington Nationals starting Sep.
Even with the postseason out of reach, getting Wetherholt back would still matter. He remains a long shot in the National League Rookie of the Year race, but a strong late surge would at least give him a chance to make things interesting.
Just as important, the Cardinals want to see him finish the year with the team. These final games still matter, especially for a young group that looks like it could shape the 2027 roster.
There’s value in keeping that core together through the finish line. The Cardinals are trying to build something, and these late-season innings are part of that process. If Wetherholt is ready, the sense is simple: let him play.
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