Cardinals replace a pitcher (Gant) with a batter (Huffman)
The day after giving up four home runs (all by Scooter Gennett) and 13 runs against the Cincinnati Reds while scoring only one run themselves, the St. Louis Cardinals replaced an arm with a bat on their roster.
The Cardinals announced Wednesday they have purchased the contract of outfielder/first baseman Chad Huffman from Triple-A Memphis and optioned right-hander John Gant to Memphis.
Huffman, 32, is making his first appearance in the major leagues since 2010, when he made his debut with the Yankees. He played in nine games and batted .167 (3-for-18) with two RBIs and two walks while playing left field, right field and first base in that stint with New York.
Huffman, a high school and college teammate of Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter, is playing his 12th pro season after being selected by San Diego in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2006 draft. He has played in 1,014 minor league games, batting .281 with 981 hits, 123 home runs and 551 RBIs. He has participated in four minor league All-Star Games and two Triple-A home run derbies, and he played in Japan in the 2014 and '15 seasons.
A right-handed hitter, Huffman has played in 43 games at Memphis, starting 25 in the outfield and eight at first base. He was batting .292 with four home runs and 20 RBIs. His .469 on-base percentage in May was tied for the highest in all of Triple A.
Gant, 24, made one appearance for the Cardinals following his May 31 recall from Memphis. He pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief Tuesday night, allowing two runs while striking out three.
