ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NEWS

Dylan Carlson - Not in lineup Thursday Carlson is out of the lineup Thursday versus the Giants.

Impact Jordan Walker was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, but the Cardinals still have a bit of a logjam in their outfield. Tyler O'Neill is playing left field Thursday with Lars Nootbaar covering center and Alec Burleson handling right.

APRIL 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Willson Contreras - Gets day off Thursday Contreras is not in the starting lineup Thursday at San Francisco.

Impact This would appear to be a routine breather for Contreras as the Cardinals wrap up a four-game set at Oracle Park. Andrew Knizner is catching and batting eighth. Nolan Gorman is serving as the designated hitter and hitting third.

APRIL 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Breaking down the Cards' intriguing option of Walker This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regu...

APRIL 27, 2023 • MLB.COM

Jordan Hicks - Handed second loss Hicks (0-2) allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out four without walking a batter, but he took the loss Wednesday versus the Giants.

Impact A two-out fielding error by Lars Nootbaar and a subsequent wild pitch from Hicks allowed the Giants' Mitch Haniger to score the go-ahead run. Hicks has been used in low-leverage situations for a little over a week, but he entered a tied game on a three-inning scoreless streak and couldn't maintain the lead. The hard-throwing righty trimmed his ERA to 6.97, but he has an awful 2.32 WHIP and a 17:9 K:BB through 10.1 innings. He's issued just one walk over his last five outings, but he's also uncorked two wild pitches in that span and still has some work to do to get his control in line.

APRIL 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Inside the Cardinals' decision to option Jordan Walker and how it impacts the outfield A crunch for playing time in the outfield is just one reason behind the Cardinals' lousy start: "The way we're doing it isn't working."

APRIL 27, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Paul Goldschmidt - Enjoys big game at plate Goldschmidt went 4-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs in a loss to the Giants on Wednesday.

Impact Goldschmidt carried St. Louis' struggling offense Wednesday, producing half of the team's hits and plating two of its three runs on a pair of solo homers. It was the first four-hit game and first multi-homer effort of the season for the star first baseman, who is slashing .315/.417/.533 through 108 plate appearances. Goldschmidt has added four homers, 13 RBI, 16 runs, two steals and a 15:17 BB:K.

APRIL 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Goldschmidt leads Cardinals against the Giants after 4-hit game

The St. Louis Cardinals take on the San Francisco Giants after Paul Goldschmidt had four hits against the Giants on Wednesday

APRIL 27, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Steven Matz - Goes just four innings Wednesday Matz did not factor in the decision against the Giants on Wednesday, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three batters over four innings.

Impact All things considered, Matz was fortunate to have just two runs charged to his line, as he allowed nine batters to reach base over just four frames. The southpaw escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third but yielded a pair of runs on four hits in the fourth and wasn't allowed to continue into the fifth. Matz needed 90 pitches -- only 51 of which were strikes -- to get through his four innings, continuing what has been a rough season thus far. He's 0-3 on the campaign with a 6.23 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 27:13 K:BB across 26 frames.

APRIL 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants Preview - 04/27/2023 This browser does not support the video element.

APRIL 27, 2023 • MLB.COM

Goldschmidt hits 2 HRs, Cardinals lose to Giants

Mitch Haniger scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning following a dropped fly ball by Cardinals center fielder Lars Nootbaar, helping the Giants overcome a big...

APRIL 27, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Paul Goldschmidt single-handedly trying to save the Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the biggest disappointments so far, but first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is trying to drag them to victory...

APRIL 27, 2023 • FANSIDED.COM

Cardinals option top prospect Walker to minors Promising St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Jordan Walker was optioned to Triple-A Memphis following a 7-for-35 slide in his last 10 gam...

APRIL 27, 2023 • SANDIEGOUNIONTRIBUNE.COM

Cardinals option top prospect Walker to minors

Promising St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Jordan Walker was optioned to Triple-A Memphis following a 7-for-35 slide in his last 10 games

APRIL 27, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Adam Wainwright - One more rehab start Wainwright (groin) will make one more rehab start at Triple-A Memphis, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.

Impact The date of his third rehab start isn't clear, but Sunday would be regular rest. Wainwright has been knocked around a bit in his first two rehab outings, yielding five runs on 11 hits with a 4:1 K:BB over 7.1 innings. This means Jake Woodford should get one more turn in the Cards' rotation and Wainwright will be set up to return next weekend at home against the Tigers.

APRIL 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Tommy Edman - Gets Wednesday off Edman isn't starting Wednesday against the Giants, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Impact Edman has been hot at the plate recently, boasting a 1.026 OPS over his last five games. However, he will sit Wednesday in favor of Paul DeJong, who will start at shortstop and bat ninth.

APRIL 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

MLB Rumors: Grading 3 trade packages to fix the St. Louis Cardinals MLB Insider Robert Murray grades three potential St. Louis Cardinals trade packages as they hope to turn around their rough start. The St. L...

APRIL 26, 2023 • FANSIDED.COM

Cardinals' demotion of rookie outfielder isn't their only roster move to raise eyebrows Are the Cardinals panicked about their worst start in decades?

APRIL 26, 2023 • BND.COM

Cardinals bring back Taylor Motter, option Jordan Walker Just days after he was designated for assignment by the St.

APRIL 26, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Cards option top prospect Jordan Walker to Triple-A The Cardinals have optioned top prospect Jordan Walker to Triple-A Memphis, the team announced on Wednesday. Walker had been a mainstay in t...

APRIL 26, 2023 • MLB.COM

Cardinals' Jordan Walker optioned to Triple A The rookie began the season on a hot streak, recording a hit in 12 straight games.

APRIL 26, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Taylor Motter - Selected to STL roster Motter had his contract selected by the Cardinals on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Impact Motter was designated for assignment by St. Louis this past Sunday, but he passed through waivers unclaimed and will now get another shot in the bigs following the demotion of Jordan Walker. Motter, 33, is a career .192/.264/.310 hitter in 466 plate appearances at the MLB level.

APRIL 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Jordan Walker - Optioned to Memphis The Cardinals optioned Walker to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Impact Walker began his MLB career with a 12-game hitting streak, but he was slashing just .192/.250/.231 over his last 28 plate appearances and had been absent from the Cardinals' lineup for the first two games of their three-game series in San Francisco. Still, this demotion arrives as rather shocking news given his top-prospect pedigree and respectable .718 overall OPS. Taylor Motter is up from Memphis in a corresponding move.

APRIL 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

This Cardinals trade would free up outfield and help struggling pitching staff There was plenty of buzz in the offseason about the St. Louis Cardinals potentially trading Dylan Carlson. With some of the recent happening...

APRIL 26, 2023 • FANSIDED.COM

Jordan Walker - Working on swing Walker has been out of the Cardinals' lineup the last two games in order to work on his swing, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Impact Specifically, the Cards are working with Walker on getting the ball in the air. The 20-year-old has a hard-hit rate in the 78th percentile and max exit velocity in the 96th percentile, but his groundball rate is over 60 percent. "This is a guy who hits the ball at the top of the league, so if he learns how to get it off the ground there are a lot of extra-base hits and homers awaiting him," manager Oli Marmol said. The Cardinals have a boatload of outfield options right now, but it does not sound like Walker is in danger of a demotion at this point. It's unclear whether he will be back in the lineup Wednesday.

APRIL 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Adam Wainwright - Struggling on rehab assignment Wainwright (groin) allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk over 4 1/3 innings in Tuesday's rehab start with Double-A Springfield, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Impact Wainwright struck out just one on the night. The veteran right-hander has now allowed five runs on 11 hits with a 4:1 K:BB over 7.1 innings over his two rehab outings. Woo says the Cardinals are still deciding whether to give him a third rehab start or re-insert him into the rotation. If Wainwright does make his next start with the big club, it could come as soon as Sunday in Los Angeles versus the Dodgers.

APRIL 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE