Nolan Gorman’s next shot with the Cardinals might be coming into view, and it starts with the kind of swing St. Louis has been waiting to see again.
The 26-year-old infielder has been in Triple-A Memphis since June, when the Cardinals sent him down after calling up Blaze Jordan. He hasn’t been back in the majors since, but Tuesday night gave him a fresh reason to stay on the radar: he went deep for the Redbirds.
That matters because Gorman’s bat has been searching for answers for a while. He struggled through 2025 with St.
Louis, and the slide continued into 2026. By the time he was demoted, he was hitting .194/.279/.318 with seven home runs, 26 RBI and a .598 OPS.
The Cardinals’ offense has been stuck in its own rut lately, and that opens the door for a familiar name to re-enter the picture. Gorman’s average in Triple-A still doesn’t jump off the page, but the power is there, and that’s the trait that keeps him relevant.
If he can keep driving the ball, St. Louis could have another option at third base if Blaze Jordan and Jose Fermin aren’t giving them enough.
Jordan and Fermin have better numbers right now, but the bigger question is what happens when rosters expand in September. That’s when Gorman could work his way back to the big-league club, especially with the Cardinals essentially out of postseason contention.
At this point, giving him more chances down the stretch would cost little and could help him build some momentum heading into 2027. He was one of the team’s best hitters in 2023 and 2024, but he hasn’t been the same since. More time in Memphis might be exactly what he needs to reset.
And if the home runs keep coming, the Cardinals will have a real decision to make later in the year. Gorman still carries left-handed power that can change the conversation in a hurry, and that alone makes him worth keeping in the mix.
In Other News...
Jordan Walkers Absence Leaves Cardinals Waiting On One Big Answer
Jordan Walkers recent run at the plate gave the Cardinals a needed jolt, which made his absence on Wednesday all the more noticeable. The outfielder was scratched from the lineup before the game because of right knee inflammation, and St. Louis played on without one of its hotter bats while waiting for clarity on how long he might be sidelined.
Oli Marmol said the clubs hope is that Walker will be day-to-day and could be back soon, which at least offers some early optimism. For now, the Cardinals are left to monitor the knee and see whether a brief hiccup stays brief, especially with no serious diagnosis announced and Walker coming off a strong stretch of play. [Read more 🡒]
JJ Wetherholt Is Giving Cardinals Fans A Rookie Season To Believe In
JJ Wetherholt has quickly become one of the more compelling names in the National League Rookie of the Year conversation, and the latest polling only reinforces how tightly packed the race remains. The Cardinals infielder is tied with Cincinnatis Sal Stewart at 144 total vote points, but Wetherholt has the edge in first-place votes and brings a stronger bWAR into the conversation, which is enough to keep St. Louis fans paying close attention as the season unfolds.
Stewart still has the offensive numbers that make this a legitimate fight, and that is what keeps the award picture from feeling settled even with Wetherholt drawing so much support. For the Cardinals, the encouraging part is not just that their rookie is in the mix, but that he is holding his own in a race with no clear runaway, leaving plenty of runway for this to become one of the more interesting individual storylines on the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]