Cardinals' game Friday to be exclusively streamed on Apple TV+. Here's how to watch.
The Cardinals just won a series finale, something they had not done in seven previous attempts this season. Perhaps that is a step forward in what is another poor start by the team, which again is in last place and has lost five of its past seven games despite winning two of three contests this week against reigning National League champion Arizona.
But if Cards fans want to see if the team is gaining momentum when it next plays, on the road Friday against the New York Mets, they鈥檒l have to have access to Apple TV+ because it鈥檚 exclusively streaming the contest. That is part of Apple鈥檚 season-long schedule of Friday night Major League Baseball doubleheaders that it has the sole rights to stream 鈥 there is no conventional television converge, such as locally on Cards telecaster Bally Sports Midwest.
It will be the Cardinals鈥 final appearance on Apple until at least July 鈥 the schedule has been set through June, and they are not on that portion of it again.
Los Angeles Angels announcer Wayne Randazzo is set to do the play-by-play, with former big league pitcher Dontrelle Willis providing analysis. They also broadcast Apple鈥檚 first Cardinals telecast this year, a game March 29 against the Dodgers, and Randazzo also had the call in 2022 for Apple TV+ when it exclusively streamed the game in which the Cardinals鈥 Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run.
Heidi Watney will be the reporter on the Cards-Mets contest, which is set to start at 6:10 p.m. (最新杏吧原创 time). Apple鈥檚 other telecast Friday is the Tampa Bay-Chicago White Sox matchup, at 6:40 p.m.
Apple鈥檚 pregame show begins at 5:30 p.m. and is anchored by Lauren Gardner. It includes commentary from Xavier Scruggs, whose brief major league career included 26 games at first base with the Cardinals over the 2014 and 鈥15 seasons, and reporter Russell Dorsey.
How to watch
Apple TV+ charges $9.99 monthly for its services but is offering a for new and former customers.
Apple says its MLB games are available on the Apple TV+ app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, Windows PC, smart TVs, streaming devices and cable set-top boxes. They also can be accessed on the internet at , including on Android, Windows PC and Chrome OS devices.
The , per Apple, on how to watch its MLB streaming productions:
Establish an Apple TV+ subscription and update to the latest software.
Sign in with your Apple ID.
Set up the Apple TV app if you’re using a streaming device or game console.
Open the Apple TV+ app or go to the website.
Go to the search tab.
Select Apple TV+ Major League Baseball.
Select a game.
Select watch.
Scuffling Miles Mikolas starts trip opener for Cardinals vs. Mets: First Pitch
Less than a month after the started side by side on opening day in the majors, Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II are side by side in Memphis. BPIB discusses what the moves mean.
The Cardinals begin a six-game road trip with the first of three against the Mets on Friday night. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. 最新杏吧原创 time.
Right-hander Miles Mikolas (1-3, 6.49) will take the mound for the Cardinals. Mikolas allowed five earned runs in each of his last two outings and three of five for the season.
Among his four most-thrown pitches, batters are hitting .300 or more off all but the sinker.
Mikolas' slider in particular is far less effective this season. Opponents are batting .371 against it, up .126 from last year. The whiff rate against the slider has declined to 16.9% from 22.4% last year.
The Mets will counter with 26-year-old Venezuelan rookie right-hander Jos茅 Butt贸 (0-0, 1.65). He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in all three of his starts this year.
Butt贸 didn't make the club out of spring training, but injuries have elevated him.
Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is out of the lineup. It's a scheduled off day for him. Veteran Brandon Crawford will play short, his fifth start of the season.
Before the game, New York activated six-time All-Star J.D. Martinez. He will bat fifth and be the designated hitter Friday. He began the season in the minors after signing late in spring training.
The Cardinals are 11-14, last in the NL Central and 5 1/2 games out of first. 最新杏吧原创 has lost five of its last seven. The team is second-to-last in the National League with a .641 OPS.
The Mets are 13-11, third in the NL East and are coming home from a six-game road trip in which they went 3-3 vs. the Dodgers and Giants.
New York's 3.53 team ERA is third-best in the NL. The Mets have allowed just 14 home runs, fewest in the league.
Lineups
CARDINALS
1. Brendan Donovan, LF
2. Willson Contreras, C
3. Lars Nootbaar, RF
4. Nolan Arenado, 3B
5. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
6. Alec Burleson, DH
7. Nolan Gorman, 2B
8. Brandon Crawford, SS
9. Michael Siani, CF
P: Miles Mikolas, RHP
METS
1. Brandon Nimmo, LF
2. Starling Marte, RF
3. Francisco Lindor, SS
4. Pete Alonso, 1B
5. J.D. Martinez, DH
6. Jeff McNeil, 2B
7. Harrison Bader, CF
8. Brett Baty, 3B
9. Tom谩s Nido, C
P: Jos茅 Butt贸, RHP
Injury report
Tommy Edman (wrist surgery):聽On the 10-day IL, Edman took swings off a tee from both sides of the plate last week. He will advance through the usual hitting progression (coach pitch, then a pitching machine) as tolerated.聽Updated April 20
Matt Carpenter (oblique strain):聽Placed on the 10-day injured list, backdated to April 2 after feeling discomfort in his torso pregame. He received an injection Monday and will go through three days without activity before he resumes hitting. After the three days, Carpenter is scheduled to take swings on pitches from a coach and then from a pitching machine before he likely takes at-bats through a rehab assignment. Updated April 22
Riley O'Brien (flexor tendon):聽Placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 29, O'Brien's right arm tightened up after his opening day appearance. The initial diagnosis is strain of the flexor tendon; scans showed no structural damage. He began his throwing progression Tuesday.聽Updated April 23
Dylan Carlson (sprained shoulder): On 10-day IL, Carlson took on-field batting practice from both sides of the plate on Monday as he advances on a hitting program. He has been able to hit off a hitting tee, front toss and inside in the batting cage while also going through defensive work. His batting cage work came as a lefty. He will advance as comfortable and hopes to take on-field batting practice this week.聽Updated April 22
Keynan Middleton (forearm strain): On the 15-day IL, Middleton extended the distance of his catch April 17 and will slowly progress through a throwing program that could put him several weeks away from returning to the mound for any workouts that would be similar to a bullpen session.聽Updated April 17
Drew Rom (biceps tendinitis): On the 15-day IL, Rom experienced the soreness in his left arm shortly before the end of spring training. He has continued going through plyometric exercises, but is scheduled to be reevaluated in the coming days as his recovery has 鈥渟talled.鈥 Updated April 23
Are Victor Scott II and Jordan Walker, now in Memphis, 最新杏吧原创' future outfield? Best Podcast in Baseball
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Less than a month after two of the Cardinals' leading young position players started opening day side by side in outfield, bringing a glimpse of the future into the present, Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II are side by side again this weekend.
They're just reunited at Class AAA Memphis.
Early season offensive struggles have led to both outfielders being optioned to the Cardinals' highest affiliate.
Since the minor-leagues are in the headlines, and not just because of the two outfielders, who better to swing by for visit on the Best Podcast in Baseball than Post-Dispatch baseball writer Daniel Guerrero, who covers the minors daily for and the Post-Dispatch.
He details what the messaging and assignment was for Walker in his return to Memphis and offers some insight into what the Cardinals can still see in their future.
For Scott, it will be his first time at the Triple-A level. He leapfrogged Memphis to debut in the majors, just as Walker did a year ago.
That's not the only event that seems to be repeating.
At almost the exact same point in the season that he was demoted a year ago, Walker returned to Class AAA with some of the same assignments. As in 2023, he was given a few days in the big-leagues to work on adjustments in the cage. That was prelude to going to Triple-A, where, again this year, he'll spend several days in the hitting lab before moving to the lineup. The Cardinals believe both outfielders are going to be impact contributors in the near future. Their more pressing need is production聽鈥 both to ignite some confidence at their April struggles, but also to see a return on the work they've been doing with their swings away from the game.
Walker returns to Memphis with a .155/.239/.259 slash line, and he's got a 50% groundball rate to go with a 4.8% line-drive rate. He's not getting the lift out of his swing that he did to close last season with a .276/.342/.445 slash line and hint at what was ahead for his second season.
Guerrero discusses with BPIB host and Post-Dispatch colleague Derrick Goold what specific adjustments the Cardinals are looking for Walker to make with his swing and Scott to make with his offensive approach.
Guerrero also offers three prospects to watch, including a real-time update on Sem Robberse's latest blitz through a Class AAA opponent. The beat writer for the Cardinals' minor-league organization introduces a name to know that is off the radar, but not for long: lefty Quinn Matthews.
Robberse been joined at Triple-A by four members of the Cardinals' opening day roster. The churn is real -- and it's just beginning.
The Best Podcast in Baseball is sponsored by Closets by Design of 最新杏吧原创.
Next stop Detroit and some Vernor's ginger ale.
Sports columnists Ben Frederickson and Jeff Gordon wonder, when was the last time Cardinals fans were this honked off after a series win? That's not to say they don't have plenty of reasons to feel frustrated.
Readers had questions about coaching and performing, and if there is a different feel around the club, even if there is the same results in the standings.
Ryan Fernandez, a Rule 5 draft pick, threw a pivotal scoreless inning in the series against Arizona that revealed role he could play for Cardinals' beefed-up bullpen.
Stymied again for five innings, the Cardinals relied on pitching and defense to allow a wheezing lineup to stir late, win, 5-1, vs. Arizona for an improbable series victory.
How Cardinals reliever assured more chances with 'biggest performance of my life' mindset
Cardinals relief pitcher Ryan Fernandez pitches in the sixth inning during a game against the Diamondbacks on Monday, April 22, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
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While the Cardinals looked for the right time to debut Ryan Fernandez, the rookie right-hander spent day after day, as each game passed without him throwing a pitch, getting in the right mindset for his first appearance in the majors.
When that right time never came but the only time did, he was ready.
鈥淚t kind of built up to when I do get my chance, I鈥檓 going to make sure I take advantage of it 鈥 that type of thing,鈥 Fernandez said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the big leagues. Whenever it happens, it鈥檚 the biggest performance of my life.鈥
In the opening days of the regular season, the Cardinals sought an entry-level spot to use one of their new-addition relievers. A cozy lead would have been preferred; a mop-up inning would have been used. As the wait lasted a series and neared a week, the Cardinals got in a bind where they could no longer be choosy. The spot chose Fernandez: He was available. Into the eighth inning at San Diego he entered with the Cardinals down by a run, a game within reach.
The biggest performance of his life.
Fernandez allowed a hit and a walk and struck out the other three batters he faced to hold the one-run deficit he inherited. It was not the ideal situation, but it yielded an even better outcome.
鈥淚t was like, 鈥業t鈥檚 yours, buddy,鈥欌 manager Oliver Marmol recalled. 鈥淭he game doesn鈥檛 always give you the opportunity you want. It puts you in a spot where it鈥檚 time for you to do something. It鈥檚 a benefit to the player because he handled it well, and that leads to confidence when put into those moments, and it鈥檚 a benefit to the team because he handled it well, and that leads to confidence using him in those moments.鈥
Outside the spotlight the Cardinals placed on their rotation for the season and beyond the flares of concern set off by the offense, the bullpen has become the team鈥檚 steadiest beacon. The Cardinals head to Queens for a three-game series with a 3.77 bullpen ERA that is slightly warped by a long-relief appearance this past week in the 14-1 loss. Subtract that outing and the Cardinals鈥 bullpen ERA would be 3.13, low enough for third in the National League and just behind this weekend鈥檚 opponents, the strikeout-oriented New York Mets relief corps. The Cardinals are getting there.
The Cardinals are the only bullpen in the NL to rank in the majors鈥 top five for strikeout rate (26.2%) and bottom five for walk rate (8.1%). The lead the majors with the highest ground-ball rate of any relief group at 53.6%. The Cardinals aimed to beef up their bullpen for more strikeouts, and five of the relievers who have spent the entire season so far in the bullpen have strikeout rates greater than the team rate, which ranks fifth in MLB. The second-best strikeout rate in the bullpen, at 31.6%, belongs to Fernandez.
The last player on the Cardinals鈥 opening day roster to appear in a game, Fernandez is emerging as a welcome part of that bullpen 鈥 a chase reliever.
The Cardinals did not score a run before the sixth inning of either game they won against Arizona, and yet they took two of three because of a bullpen that, in the victories, did not allow a run. Fernandez pitched a pivotal inning in the first game of the series with the Cardinals trailing by three runs. By holding the Diamondbacks scoreless in the sixth inning, he bought time for the offense to rally for a win and set up the Cardinals鈥 late-inning relievers to be available later in that game and that series.
鈥淜eep it there, allow you to tie it and now you鈥檙e facing our back-end guys,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淲hen you have a good bullpen, it allows you to use guys in a game like that who can keep it there. That was key to being able to get to JoJo (Romero) and Andrew (Kittredge). It鈥檚 him being able to keep it there that gives you a shot.鈥
Fernandez, 25, relieved starter Lance Lynn on Monday for the sixth inning. Awaiting him was the 3-0 deficit and the top of the D-Backs order. Fernandez struck out the first two batters he faced, speeding an elevated 94.4 mph sinker past Ketel Marte before getting a pop-up from reigning Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll. It was Fernandez鈥檚 seventh appearance of the season and seventh time pitching with the Cardinals trailing.
The comeback meant it was his first performance in a win.
Biggest of his life?
鈥淚 helped the team come back and get a walk-off win,鈥 Fernandez said. 鈥淪o, probably, yeah.鈥
A 23rd-round pick by Boston in the 2018 MLB draft, Fernandez took his most significant stride toward the majors ahead of the 2022 season. It just ultimately wouldn鈥檛 be with the Red Sox. That offseason, Fernandez and a cousin kept each other honest by going to the gym and adding strength. Fernandez was drafted at around 170 pounds, and that weight had not been updated as he climbed the Sox system to Class A. Fernandez knew he needed strength to advance. He added size, reporting to spring training at 195 pounds.
That was not the number that caught his eye.
In his first live batting practice session, his fastball clocked 97 mph for the first time.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥榃hoa,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淭his could be a crazy year.鈥
He reached 98 mph and 99 mph later in the season.
Fernandez spent part of that season as closer and reached Class AA. He got 26 games at Class AAA in 2023, but his ERA swelled to 6.16 and while the power played it also sometimes left the ballpark. He allowed seven home runs in 30 2/3 innings to offset 35 strikeouts. The Sox left Fernandez unprotected ahead of the Rule 5 draft, and the Cardinals selected him, knowing it would take a spot on their active roster all season to retain him. The Rule 5 implication resonated with Fernandez.
鈥淵ou get that Rule 5 call and you鈥檙e like, OK, this is awesome,鈥 Fernandez said. 鈥淭hey believe I can pitch in the big leagues right now.鈥
With a solid spring and a power-slider pitch profile the Cardinals craved, Fernandez earned a spot in the opening day bullpen. Finding him a spot in a game became the challenge. At one point, as the season shifted from the opening four games at Dodger Stadium to three games at the Padres鈥 Petco Park, Marmol had an eight-word answer about when and how the right-handed rookie might appear in a game: 鈥淲e need to get him in a game.鈥 The Cardinals couldn鈥檛 script it, so the circumstance eventually did.
During the season鈥檚 first week, Fernandez had been eyeing his peers and their routines, borrowing from them, adapting them and also waiting for the phone to ring with his name.
When that call came and he warmed up, the Cardinals rallied.
A two-run game became a one-run game became his game.
鈥淥h yeah, that鈥檚 probably why my mood change going into that game was so intense,鈥 Fernandez said. 鈥淚 had that mentality building up in my head on how I needed to be going into my first outing. I was very calm, just chilling in the bullpen, knowing eventually I was going to get my chance. Then when my name came, I kind of had this (attack) you mentality going on. It was very intense. You can see it in the pictures of me when I came into the dugout. I kind of look like I was (ticked) off. I wasn鈥檛. I was having the greatest time ever.鈥
Stationed around a double and an intentional walk, Fernandez struck out three batters, each on a different pitch. His first big league strikeout came on a called strike 3 cutter. He dropped a 95.8 mph fastball under a bat for his second and veered an 87 mph slider for the finish. His debut with a scoreless inning as a chase reliever gave the Cardinals a chance to rally even though they did not.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad it happened the way it did,鈥 said Fernandez, who has as many strikeouts (12) as he has allowed base runners (12) in nine innings this season. 鈥淗aving that situation there and showing that I can perform in that close of a game has helped Oli have confidence in me and put me in more spots like that. I kept it right there. I know I can go in there and shut the game down.鈥
When he left the sixth inning Monday, the score exactly as he inherited it, Fernandez stopped before ducking down into the clubhouse for arm care. The Cardinals lineup stirred. So he stayed in the dugout watching all the way until Nolan Gorman鈥檚 walk-off won it. Fernandez did not qualify for a hold, a save or the win. There will be no shorthand by his name in that box score, but his inning was key to the victory 鈥 and there will be more to follow.
鈥淚t may be the end of the game one day,鈥 Fernandez said. 鈥淚t could be the middle of the game like (against Arizona). They鈥檙e going to put me in there any time I can help.鈥
And the assignment will be the biggest of his life.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol speaks with the media on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, after a win over Arizona. Video by Ethan Erickson
BenFred: How good has Kittredge been for Cardinals? So good no one is panicking about Palacios
Cardinals relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge throws to Brewers catcher William Contreras during the eighth inning of a game Sunday, April 21, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch
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Like Andrew Kittredge鈥檚 sneaky velocity, my revelation about the reliever kind of snuck up on me.
We should be talking a lot more about this guy.
We鈥檒l get into all the reasons, but let鈥檚 start with perhaps the biggest one.
We should be talking more about Kittredge because Kittredge has, at least so far, stopped anyone from talking about Richie Palacios.
Could it be that the Cardinals traded a young outfielder with unknown upside and it didn鈥檛 immediately turn into an absolute disaster?
Stay tuned, but early signs suggest perhaps so.
At the start of this Cardinals road trip, the new-to-the-Cards 34-year-old right-handed reliever had allowed one run in 11 relief appearances. His streak of seven consecutive scoreless appearances 鈥 all but one of his 11 have ended that way 鈥 had increased his strikeout total to 11. He鈥檇 walked only three and never more than one in any game. Seventy percent of his pitches have hammered the strike zone, yet hitters are averaging just .206 against him. The advanced data at Baseball Savant shows hitters鈥 expected slugging percentage against Kittredge is a meager .244. Their hard-hit percentage is a tame 26.1%. Both of those numbers are top-10% good.
Sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth inning work? It doesn鈥檛 matter to the former (and perhaps future) All-Star. He鈥檚 ready when the bullpen phone calls. He鈥檚 been exactly what this Cardinals bullpen needed.
Nothing about Kittredge鈥檚 physical appearance screams mound dominance. He鈥檚 not chiseled like Aroldis Chapman or crazy long and lanky like Josh Hader, who has hair flying everywhere. The most attention-grabbing thing about Kittredge is a scruffy beard, one worn by probably half the people you work with. Kittredge may be your neighbor. If he is, maybe you didn鈥檛 even notice. Better check.
Even how Kittredge pitches can be described as unassuming, so much so that his seemingly low-stress delivery surprises hitters when his fastball averages nearly 95 mph. Eight major league seasons in, he knows what works and what doesn鈥檛. He鈥檚 mastered efficiency, from his delivery to his pitch arsenal. It鈥檚 not often that a new Cardinals reliever becomes so trusted so fast, by both manager and fans. His veteran presence and immediate results have brought confidence and courage to the entire bullpen, and it shows.
Did I mention he鈥檚 crazy affordable? He鈥檚 making $2.63 million this season, which could wind up being his first and last season with the Cardinals before he departs as a free agent. So we should appreciate Kittredge. He鈥檚 been great.
Now, back to Palacios. Did you hear? He鈥檚 been pretty good.
If Kittredge was struggling, it would be something everybody is talking about. Because Palacios is trying to stir that pot of ex-Cardinals outfield angst through his performance with the Rays. While playing both left and right field for Tampa, Palacios is averaging .264 with a .381 on-base percentage and a .415 slugging percentage. His .796 on-base plus slugging percentage is third on his new team and far ahead (so far) of old friend Randy Arozarena鈥檚 .486 OPS.
That Palacios OPS, if held by a Cardinal, would be second on the team behind Willson Contreras and first among Cardinals outfielders.
The Cardinals are once again desperate for consistent offensive production. They once again have an outfield with more question marks than answers. Tommy Edman鈥檚 slower-than-planned return from an offseason wrist surgery scratched their planned starting center fielder. Victor Scott II and Jordan Walker already have been sent down for minor league resets.
During a 2023 season the Cardinals could not forget fast enough, Palacios did one of the few good things. He produced an OPS of .823 during his 32-game sample size. He brought life and sizzle to a brutal stretch of Cardinals baseball. He totaled only 93 at-bats with the Cardinals before they traded him. He鈥檚 already up to 53 at-bats with the Rays, and the 26-year-old won鈥檛 be eligible for arbitration until 2026.
Palacios has time on his side.
Kittredge is pitching his tail off.
Maybe this really is a trade that winds up working out for both teams. Those can and do happen, believe it or not. Then again, maybe the Cardinals should approach Kittredge with an early extension offer, just in case. After all, he鈥檚 pitching well enough to quiet premature hollering about yet another Cardinals outfielder who got away.
YouTube: Looking back at one of the best catches in the history of Busch Stadium II
Diving into the reasons the Cardinals are in last place. Again. Inside Pitch
Ten Hochman: Longest on-base streak in MLB? Cardinals鈥 Nolan Arenado has it.
Hochman: Is Cardinals鈥 Jordan Walker on path to become the next Dylan Carlson?
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The fear 鈥 with all due respect to Dylan Carlson 鈥 is that Jordan Walker becomes Dylan Carlson.
Of course, there鈥檚 still some time for Carlson, 25, to become a productive major leaguer (be it in 最新杏吧原创 or, as the trend has recently gone, in another city). But to this point, Carlson is the prototype of an elite Cardinals outfield prospect who underachieved in the majors.
Some forget just how big a prospect Carlson was. The swatting switch-hitter debuted in 2020 鈥 had a big postseason game, too, that pandemic season 鈥 and then tallied a .780 on-base plus slugging percentage in 2021, the year he finished third in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year.
Then came some bad injuries and bad splits. His career OPS is now .717. And he鈥檚 injured yet again.
Man, if you had asked me in 2020 where Carlson would be as a player by 2024, I would鈥檝e said: multitime All-Star.
Which leads us to Walker, who turns 22 on May 22. The prodigious youngster was baseball鈥檚 top hitting prospect heading into 2023.
He was sent down around this time last season because he was hitting too many grounders. Well, on Wednesday, he was sent down this season because he鈥檚 hitting too many grounders.
How did we get to this point, Cardinals?
Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker reacts after becoming the last out of the seventh inning of a game against the Phillies on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at Busch Stadium.
Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch
I mentioned hitting coach Turner Ward in a previous column. He鈥檚 overseeing this. And even after Wednesday鈥檚 5-1 win, the Cardinals (11-14) have the fewest homers in the National League and the second-lowest batting average. Walker鈥檚 regression is a problem, but it鈥檚 clearly not the only problem in the 最新杏吧原创 lineup. On the job, Ward and his staff must improve their ability to communicate to their players, to unlock their players and to enhance their players.
Walker, of course, is a key player. In some ways, Walker is the epitome of what鈥檚 gone wrong with the 2024 Cardinals: He was supposed to be a standout hitter for the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, and now, he鈥檚 not even a member of the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals.
With a .155 batting average, no homers and a .498 OPS, Walker was sent down to Class AAA Memphis before Wednesday鈥檚 game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not something you want, not something anybody wants for him,鈥 Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淏ut the situation does call for it.鈥
Last year, the strategic demotion worked. Walker came back hitting balls off the ground. And from his June 2 return until the end of the year, he hit .277, and his OPS was .802. Maybe this is the good kind of deja vu? A lot of it will be how Walker handles the humbling 鈥 and how Walker handles the homework. He鈥檚 a caring player and a caring person, so here鈥檚 thinking it鈥檒l work out. But it鈥檚 sure frustrating 鈥 for everyone 鈥 that it got to this point in the first place.
鈥淥bviously, that鈥檚 my guy,鈥 Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn said of his close friend, Walker. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 got some little things to work on, and he knows it. And he didn鈥檛 go down there pouting or anything. He went down there ready to go to work. Hoping to see him up here real soon again 鈥 just get back to work, getting back to Jordan Walker.鈥
Walker must work on pitch recognition 鈥 and, thus, laying off low and outside pitches. He must get better at hitting breaking balls in the zone. He must hit more line drives. He鈥檚 got the tools. And he鈥檚 got the brain. This is achievable stuff. Optimism remains high.
But Carlson looms, literally and figuratively.
Carlson could return to the outfield mix in early May. Remember, he did have an inspiring spring before Walker accidentally ran into him in the outfield.
And the story of Carlson鈥檚 career underachievement hovers above Walker, the Cardinals coaches and the front office.
Simply put, Walker is a can鈥檛-miss prospect. So they better hit with him (meaning he better hit better).
鈥淚t鈥檚 a hard game, and there are constant adjustments,鈥 Marmol said. 鈥淎nd then you also know that the league is going to try to expose his weaknesses, so you try to address those 鈥 but it鈥檚 an environment that鈥檚 tough to make swing adjustments at. It鈥檚 one thing to make pitch selection and pitch recognition adjustments at this level and just lay off. But when you鈥檙e trying to do that and also (your) swing is not where it needs to be 鈥 that makes it a little bit more difficult, especially at his (young) age. So it makes the most sense for Jordan at the moment to get those reps in a lower-stakes environment, it really does.鈥
Sometimes, we forget how young Walker is. He鈥檚 currently 21. And for every Juan Soto, there are other super-young players who only show glimpses of domination before they can legally drink. But if a guy is in the majors, he must produce like a major leaguer. And Walker鈥檚 .498 OPS with a bunch of ground balls, regardless of how hard they were hit, isn鈥檛 going to cut it.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado struggled earlier this year, and he鈥檚 now found his stroke. Hitting worse than .200, Nolan Gorman started clicking this past series, launching rocket after rocket. Maybe Walker is the next big name to get going for the Cardinals. But first, it鈥檒l have to happen for the Redbirds.
鈥淲alk is a great kid, man 鈥 it鈥檚 sad to see him go,鈥 Arenado said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know until I got here (Wednesday morning) that I realized what happened. It stinks. You don鈥檛 want to see people get sent down and he鈥檚 been working in the cage and he鈥檚 trying to figure it out. And it鈥檚 unfortunate the work hasn鈥檛 paid off in the game yet. That鈥檚 kind of been everybody so far this year. We鈥檒l miss him; I know he鈥檒l get right and we need him.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 one message 鈥 I don鈥檛 know what they told them 鈥 but if there鈥檚 one message we can send him is that we need him. And hopefully he gets right and we can make a good run.鈥
