The Cardinals may be getting a boost exactly when they need one. Masyn Winn, who has been out with a right thumb fracture since landing on the IL on August 25, is trending toward a return after taking part in what Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described as a major workout at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
“Winn (thumb fracture) continues to make strides with his baseball activities, and Tuesday at Dodger Stadium featured be a significant workout for the Gold Glove shortstop to determine if he could return to the lineup as early as Thursday in the series finale,” Goold reported.
That’s welcome news for a St. Louis club that has been banged up for weeks.
The Cardinals have had to navigate injuries to Andre Pallante, Hunter Dobbins, Blaze Jordan and JJ Wetherholt, and Winn’s absence has been especially noticeable because of what he brings on defense. Even with Wetherholt filling in at shortstop before his own injury, St.
Louis hasn’t had the same stability up the middle.
At the plate, Winn has had his struggles. But the glove is the story here, and the Cardinals have been missing that impact in a big way.
The timing matters, too. After Tuesday night’s blowout win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, St.
Louis has a chance to take the series from the back-to-back World Series champions. The Cardinals already beat the Dodgers in a series at Busch Stadium back in May, and another win here would carry some weight in the National League race.
St. Louis is still a longshot to reach the postseason, especially after selling at the trade deadline.
Even so, the rest of the month gives them chances to shape the playoff picture. The Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers are battling for the top seed in the National League, and the Cardinals can still play spoiler in a meaningful way.
They also face the Brewers in the final weekend of the season, which gives them another opportunity to affect Milwaukee’s path. To do that, though, they need as close to a full lineup as possible, and Winn is a key part of that.
Jordan and Dobbins are likely finished for the year, but Winn appears close. If he doesn’t return Thursday, there’s still a chance he could be back for the series opener against the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
For a Cardinals team with a relatively manageable September schedule, that kind of reinforcements could matter a lot. Winn coming back would give St. Louis a real lift.
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For the Cardinals, the contrast lands at an interesting moment under Chaim Bloom, who is trying to shape a farm system built around drafting and developing its own wave of talent. The Angels have shown a willingness to push young players into the majors fast, while St. Louis has long preferred a steadier path, but a well-funded rival with a former Cardinals executive in charge adds a familiar threat to a homegrown plan that is still trying to prove itself. [Read more 🡒]