Worthy: Negro Leagues museum inspires young players like Cardinals’ Victor Scott II
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Of all the walks you can take in a wide world of venues, a saunter through the hall at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the historic 18th and Vine District in Kansas City has always been among the most illuminating, inspirational and invigorating for a baseball-centric, ink-stained wretch like myself — one who has been to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and also watched games from the stands of both Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.
A recent stroll through proved particularly stirring because it came on a tour led by the museum’s president and master storyteller Bob Kendrick, who painted detailed and rich pictures of the rise of Black baseball, the personalities and talents of those involved, and its place in American society.
The group taking the tour also included a young major league ballplayer in , who represents the present-day baseball lineage of those recognized in the museum. A subsequent conversation confirmed Scott recognizes and embraces the opportunity to impact those who will follow in his footsteps.
The past served as the foundation for the present, and the present hopes to shape the future.
“We always kind of look up to those players. We hear about them as we’re growing up,” Scott said of being part of the legacy. “With me being an African American baseball player, it’s really monumental that I continue to encourage those that are younger than me, to know this is what I’m playing for.”
Scott, drafted in 2022 and who made his big league debut this season on opening day, said the “deeper meaning” in the museum’s layout struck him.
As Kendrick explained, visitors purposely get a view of the Field of Legends as soon as they walk through the turnstiles. Though they’re separated by the same sort of chicken wire that used to separate Black fans from white spectators at Major League Baseball games.
The museum’s setup forces visitors to walk through the exhibits depicting and conveying the plight of Negro League players and seminal figures like former player, manager and executive .
As a visitor, you’re exposed to how the players lived and traveled, how the Negro Leagues influenced local business and the Black economy, and the sort of treatment the players endured before you’re able to step foot on the Field of Legends.
The venue doesn’t just recognize athletic accomplishment. In fact, Kendrick makes a compelling case that the museum provides a richer appreciation for the United States by telling a uniquely American story, one of social progress.
Jackie Robinson’s path to breaking baseball’s color barrier certainly holds a significant historical place, but it’s also put in the historical context of being a precursor to the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott in the days when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was still just a student.
A DECK OF CARDS: Great to welcome my friend, , mgr. Oliver Marmol, and to the today. Also, big thanks to all the Cards fans who turned out in big numbers!
— Bob Kendrick (@nlbmprez)
There were also innovations such as developing a lighting system that allowed for night games five years before what had been recognized as the first major league night game and spreading the game across the globe with a team of Negro League All-Stars taking part in a 1927 goodwill tour in Japan.
Taking in that history made Scott think about paying it forward, and his perspective proved insightful.
“How can we take what they gave us and be able to kind of build off of what they gave us?” Scott asked.
It’s no secret that the number of Black players in the majors has plummeted in recent decades. From 18% of the players in the majors being Black in 1991, that slide to just 6.2% in 2023. That’s part of the reason MLB has invested in programs aimed at increasing participation at the grassroots level — such as the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program — and increasing exposure for amateur players via the Breakthrough Series.
When Scott referenced “building off” the platform provided by Black players of the past, he didn’t just mean by playing the game blandly and dullishly.
He meant by players bringing some of their own style onto the field, interjecting some swag into a game often tabbed as stale and stodgy.
“They gave us a gateway to even play the sport,” Scott said. “Now you see players wearing flashy things, kind of really expressing themselves within the game and being able to tell our stories in baseball.”
While that may sound sacrilegious to some baseball purists, MLB’s All-Star Game now features a red carpet show where players are asked about their wardrobe as though they were actors or musicians at an awards show.
Most clubs now have City Connect uniforms they wear annually for portions of their home slate of games. There are now clocks on the field. MLB has leaned into its annual Players Weekend as a vehicle to allow players to display their creativity, bring attention to causes, and recognize friends, family and loved ones.
The game has grown and changed, though very slowly.
Scott sees it as a responsibility to push the game forward in that regard. It’s not something I’d given a lot of consideration to in the past, but I’m glad young players like Scott have that sort of awareness.
Scott, who led the minors in stolen bases last season and won a Gold Glove as the best defensive center fielder in the minors, . He’s one of few major leaguers to have his own music as his walk-up song when he comes to the plate.
More often, you’re seeing images of players , just the way it has been in the NBA and NFL.
On the field, things like bright-colored sliding mitts, neon cleats, chains and accessories players wear on the field give a glimpse of a player’s personality and his background as well as his sense of style.
“A guy like Masyn (Winn), you can kind of tell what he’s like off of the field based on what he’s wearing on the field,” Scott said. “I’m kind of like more reserved in my attire, but you can tell that guy has some fly stuff on. So he probably has some fly stuff on off the field.
“It’s just a way to express how we play, the energy that we bring the game too.”
If that expression and energy helps the game appeal to more people, different types of people and ultimately expands the pool of people interested in playing the game and getting involved in the game, then let the dusty, dull ways that muzzled individuality in the past go the way of the chicken wire.
Cardinals start Andre Pallante in hopes of slowing surging Padres: First Pitch
Their slight playoff hopes slipping away with every successive loss, the Cardinals continue a home series Tuesday against the Padres. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.
Ƶ has lost the first two games of the four-game set. San Diego came back for a 7-5 win Tuesday night.
Right-hander Andre Pallante (6-6, 3.84) will take the mound for the Cardinals.
Pallante has gone seven innings in each of his last two outings, giving him three such starts this year. Only two Cardinals have done so more often: Sonny Gray (eight) and Kyle Gibson (four).
Pallante, who joined the rotation on May 29, has 1.3 wins above replacement in that time, per Fangraphs, tied with Miles Mikolas for second-best on the team.
The Padres will counter with right-hander Joe Musgrove (4-4, 4.43), who has made two trips to the injured list this season with elbow inflammation.
Musgrove will be making just his fourth start since Memorial Day, but he's been strong in those recent appearances, with a 0.57 ERA in 15 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals are 65-67, third in the NL Central and 10 1/2 games out of first. Ƶ is seven games out of the final wild-card spot and its playoff odds, per Fangraphs, have dropped to 0.9%.
Ƶ is 5-10 in its last 15 games and 9-15 in August.
The Padres are 76-58, tied with Arizona for second in the NL West and also knotted with the Diamondbacks for the first and second wild-card spots.
Since the break, the Friars are 26-9, tied with division rival Arizona for the best record in that span. San Diego's 191 runs and .785 OPS since the All-Star break are both second only to Arizona in the National League.
Michael Siani (oblique strain):The outfielder progressed from front flips to coach-pitched batting practice to high-velocity machine work, and he faced Lynn in the live BP on Monday. Next, he'll start a rehab assignment with Springfield on Tuesday. He's expected to play five innings in center field, followed by seven innings the following game.Updated Aug. 27
Lance Lynn (knee strain):The right-hander threw a live BP session Monday at Busch Stadium and reported no ill effects while speaking with reporters after the session. He will go on a minor-league rehab assignment, and he's slated to pitch for Triple-A Memphis against the Chicago Cubs' affiliate on Sunday in Des Moines, Iowa. He's expected to throw up to 85 pitches in that outing.Updated Aug. 26
Steven Matz (lower back stiffness):The left-hander will make another rehab start for Memphis on Tuesday, but he'll be on a reduced pitch count compared to his previous outing. He'll throw approximately 65 pitches after he threw 85 in his previous start. The reduced pitch count is in order to allow for "flexibility" when it comes time to adding him back onto the roster, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.Updated Aug. 26
Cardinals prospect Quinn Mathews continues breakout year with promotion to Class AAA
The rapid ascent up the Cardinals’ minor league system for prospect Quinn Mathews continued Wednesday when the left-handed starter was promoted from Class AA Springfield to Class AAA Memphis after just nine starts in Class AA, the Cardinals announced.
Mathews, 23, posted a 2.41 ERA and struck out 70 batters in 52 1/3 innings for Springfield following his debut from Class High-A Peoria near the end of June. Mathews — a former fourth-round pick from the 2023 MLB draft and a participant in this year’s All-Star Futures Game — has an 8-3 record and a 2.27 ERA across three levels of minor league baseball this season. He leads the minors in strikeouts with 180 in 126 1/3 innings.
The promotion to Class AAA is Mathews’ third since making his professional debut at the start of this season.
In his most recent start, Mathews struck out 12 batters and allowed one run on two hits and a walk in 7 2/3 innings for Springfield. Mathews carried a perfect game bid through 6 1/3 innings before it was broken up by a solo home run. That start, which came on Aug. 23 against Tulsa, continued a run of success for Mathews after he gave up a season-high six runs in 5 2/3 innings on July 19 against Amarillo.
Following the start vs. Amarillo, Mathews has maintained a 1.25 ERA over 36 innings and struck out 54 batters. He’s walked eight batters and kept opponents to a .159 batting average and a .467 on-base plus slugging percentage in six starts over that stretch.
The performance was Mathews’ seventh this year with double-digit strikeouts. He set a season-high for strikeouts with 13 on April 26 while with Class Low-A Palm Beach, where he was assigned to start the season. Three of his double-digit strikeout games were with Springfield, two were with Palm Beach, and two were with Peoria.
A product of Stanford University, Mathews healthily tacked on 25 pounds to his 6-foot-5 frame over the offseason and has shown improved fastball velocity. The lefty had hovered around the lower 90s mph in his final collegiate season but has hovered around the mid-90s mph and touched as high as 97.3 mph earlier this season. That improved velocity has paired with a changeup that has baffled opposing hitters and aided him in producing the second-best strikeout percentage (36.7%) across and the third-best strikeout-to-walk ratio (29.5%) across the minors, per FanGraphs.
The date for Mathews' Class AAA debut has not yet been announced.
Ten Hochman: ‘Bad Cardinal baseball.’ Padres broadcast speaks for Ƶ
Cardinals had chance to ‘bury’ Padres, but left themselves vulnerable in 7-5 loss
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The Cardinals pinned San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease up against the ropes multiple times, but they failed to deliver that one knockout blow that could’ve changes their entire night.
Instead, the Cardinals carved out a slim lead and that lead slipped away late in the game.
Another record-low crowd at Busch Stadium
The five smallest announced crowds at Busch Stadium III have all come in just more than a week. Through Aug. 27, 2024, and not including 2020 and 2021, which were impacted by the pandemic.
Date
Attendance
Opponent
8/27/2024
27,224
SDP
8/22/2024
28,630
MIL
8/26/2024
28,697
SDP
8/21/2024
29,580
MIL
8/20/2024
30,022
MIL
9/5/2012
30,090
NYM
8/23/2012
30,343
HOU
6/14/2022
31,193
PIT
5/6/2024
31,283
NYM
7/31/2024
31,365
TEX
Cardinals relief pitcher John King allowed two runs that flipped the game in the Padres favor, and just recalled reliever Riley O’Brien gave up a late insurance run in a 7-5 loss in front of an announced crowd or 27,224 at Busch Stadium, lowest announced attendance in ballpark history (not including pandemic-restricted crowds).
The estimate of attendees who came through the turnstiles was believed to have fallen below 13,000.
The Padres, managed by former Cardinals skipper Mike Shildt, have now won the first two games of the four-game series. They won for the 12th time this season when they trailed after six innings.
The Cardinals (65-67) rallied to take a one-run lead in the fifth inning on Paul Goldschmidt’s 20th home run of the season. Goldschmidt reached base four times in a 3-for-3 day at the plate that included a walk and two RBIs.
While the Cardinals offense helped starting pitcher Miles Mikolas overcome a four-run second inning to leave the game with a lead, the offense also shouldered the blame for not breaking the game open earlier.
The Cardinals left 10 men on base and went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Twice they stranded the bases loaded against Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease.
“I felt like we took some really good swings against him,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “I felt like our approach was good. We drove his pitch count up. We did a lot of good things, but that extra push [was missing].
"We let him off the hook, I felt like, several times. You could’ve buried them at one point in that game and created a big enough gap where it was difficult for them to come back.”
Cease, who entered the day with a 12-10 record and a 3.43 ERA, allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. The outing marked his shortest start that wasn’t truncated by weather since he went 3 2/3 innings against the Texas Rangers on July 2.
Cease’s four strikeouts against the Cardinals also snapped a streak of 36 consecutive starts (not shortened by weather) with at least five strikeouts.
The Cardinals didn’t waste any time getting on the board against Cease. Rookie shortstop and leadoff hitter Masyn Winn (2 for 4, walk) and Alec Burleson began the night with back-to-back hits, Burleson’s a double that put two men in scoring position before Cease recorded an out.
A wild pitch and a Luken Baker sacrifice fly later, the Cardinals logged more runs (two) than Cease had outs.
They kept applying pressure to Cease as illustrated by the fact that they had the leadoff batter on base in four of the first five innings, including Cease’s final inning.
“I did like our at-bats,” Marmol said. “He’s a tough pitcher. He’s done a nice job all year. I like what we were able to do against him at-bat to at-bat, but we’re still missing that key hit.”
After the Padres grabbed a 4-2 lead with their four-run second inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases in the bottom half of the second on a Goldschmidt single, a Jose Fermin fielder’s choice that forced out Goldschmidt, a Victor Scott II single and a Winn by walk.
With one out, Burleson’s softly grounder on the infielder allowed Padres first baseman Luis Arraez to throw home for force out and prevent the lead runner from scoring.
Then with two outs, Baker worked the count full against Cease and fouled off a 97-mph 3-2 fastball before he struck out swinging when chased a fastball above the strike zone.
Then in the bottom of the third inning, the Cardinals loaded the bases again. All three runners reached via walks, a leadoff walk by Brendan Donovan followed by a two-out walks by Goldschmidt and Fermin.
However, Cease struck out Scott swinging on three consecutive sliders to keep the score 4-2.
“[It stings] to kind of see the outcome of that game and then know we had a lot of situations that we could’ve put even more runs on the board," Scott said. "For example my bases-loaded strikeout, I’ve got to be able to come through there. That’s something I can definitely take away.”
Scott helped save at least one run in the top of third inning when he made a gasp-inducing catch in center field.
With Jake Cronenworth on second base and two outs, Padres rookie sensation Jackson Merrill lined a ball deep that tailed towards the left-center field side of center.
Scott gave chase at full speed and made a leaping catch on the run before he crashed into the outfield wall. He had just enough time to get his hands out in front of him before he hit the wall. The catch stole an extra-base hit from Merrill, one that likely would have scored Cronenworth.
As Scott jogged off the field, Merrill waited in shallow center field to greet him with a congratulatory high-five and a hug. The two played against one another in the minors and played as teammates in the 2023 MLB All-Star Futures Game.
“I thought I got a pretty good jump,” Scott said of the play. “I saw it off the bat, kind of noticed the pitch it was too and the swing he took. Once he made contact, I just kind of got to a spot and it happened to be the right spot. So it was a pretty cool play. I’m glad I came up healthy after it. It was pretty sick to see Merrill’s reaction after that too.”
Scott’s catch helped Mikolas limit all the runs against him to the second inning.
Mikolas cruised through an 11-pitch first inning, but Padres star third baseman Manny Machado started the second inning with a solo home run on 3-2 changeup high and on the inner half of the plate.
With one out, Merrill doubled to right field. Then David Peralta singled on a ball up the middle Mikolas deflected. The second of consecutive singles came from Luis Campusano and gave the Padres two runs with just one out.
The Padres took the lead on an RBI groundout by Mason McCoy, and then added another run when Arraez singled on the ground into left field.
The Padres sent eight batters to the plate, collected four runs on five hits and forced Mikolas to throw 36 pitches in the frame.
“I felt good in the first inning,” Mikolas said. “The second inning was kind of frustrating. I made one or two bad pitches to Machado and (Merrill), then I shoot myself in the foot getting in the way of that groundball. Masyn is right behind me. It kind of hits off my glove. I took a wild stab at it.
“Then they roll a couple groundballs through the infield. I knew that I liked my stuff so I just went back out there. Keep making pitches and try to get us through as much of the game as possible.”
The Cardinals scored two runs in the fifth inning on a Lars Nootbaar RBI single, their lone hit with a runner in scoring position, and Goldschmidt's two-run home run. The homer gave them a 5-4 lead.
Mikolas allowed four runs on six hits and one walk in 5 2/3 innings.
King finished out the sixth inning and allowed two runs in the seventh. O’Brien, who rejoined the team from Triple-A Memphis prior to the game, gave up one run in the top of the ninth.
O’Brien made his first appearance in the majors since the Opening Day in Los Angeles. He missed 117 games with a forearm flexor strain, and then the Cardinals optioned him to Triple-A on August 12.
Photos: Another scorcher at the ballpark, as Cardinals lose second straight game to Padres
Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker collects two doubles in Class AAA: Minor League Report
As Class AAA Memphis’s two-hole hitter on Tuesday against Iowa, Cardinals youngster Jordan Walker went two-for-four with two doubles and an RBI in Memphis’s 4-3 road loss to Iowa. One of Walker’s two doubles had a 106.2 mph exit velocity, per Statcast. The other came with two outs in the seventh inning and hit high off the left field wall at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa.
The two-hit performance was Walker’s second in five games since returning to the minor leagues a week ago. Walker, 22, is seven-for-19 (.368) with four RBIs and two doubles following his option from the majors on Aug. 20.
Walker began his Tuesday performance by striking out in the first inning when he chased a 3-2 sweeper from Caleb Kilian. Walker popped out to first base in the third inning and followed that with a double in the sixth on a chopper that bounced over the third baseman’s head and rolled to the warning track in left field. The double advanced Mike Antico to third base and, after Nolan Gorman drew a walk, set up Matt Koperniak to push across two runs with a line drive double to center field.
Walker collected his second double in the seventh inning when he pulled a 96.3 mph sinker from Michael Arias that Arias left over the middle of the strike zone. The 22-year-old's second double scored Gavin Collins from second base with two outs in the frame.
Here are other performances from around the Cardinals minor league system:
Left-handed pitcher Steven Matz, Class AAA Memphis (MLB rehab assignment): In his latest rehab start as he works his way back from a lower back injury, Matz allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits across three innings. Matz struck out three batters on 64 pitches (45 strikes). Matz was expected to be around the 65-pitch mark in the outing. Matz’s sinker averaged 91.8 mph in the start. Six of the 12 balls put in play against him were registered as hard contact with exit velocities above 95 mph, per Statcast.
Outfielder Michael Siani, Class AA Springfield (MLB rehab assignment): Siani began a rehab assignment for a strained right oblique. Siani, 25, played five innings in center field and took three at-bats in Springfield’s 4-3 road loss to Wichita. Siani struck out swinging, grounded out, and popped out before exiting, as planned, after five innings in the field. Siani is expected to play seven innings in his next rehab game as a part of a build-up.
Right-handed pitcher Sem Robberse, Class Low-A Palm Beach (minor league rehab assignment): Robberse completed three innings on 51 pitches (32 strikes) and allowed one run on four hits in his latest rehab start with Palm Beach. The three innings from Robberse, who is rehabbing an elbow strain that has kept him out since the middle of June, were the most in his three rehab starts since beginning his assignment on Aug. 14. Robberse averaged 90.8 mph with his fastball. His four-pitch mix led to a 36% whiff rate in Palm Beach’s 2-0 loss to Daytona.
Minor league moves
Early Tuesday, the Cardinals placed catching prospect Jimmy Crooks on the 7-day IL and promoted catching prospect Leonardo Bernal from Class High-A Peoria to Class AA Springfield.
Along with those moves, pitching prospect Tekoah Roby was sent on a rehab assignment with Class Low-A Palm Beach.
There was not an injury designation provided for Crooks, 23, at the time of the announcement.
Crooks, a former fourth-round pick from the 2022 MLB draft and the Cardinals’ top catching prospect, has spent his entire season in Class AA. Through 86 games as Springfield’s primary catcher, Crooks has posted career highs in average (.321), on-base percentage (.411), and slugging percentage (.503). He ranked within the top 20 in average and on-base percentage among minor leaguers with a minimum of 350 plate appearances this season at the start of Tuesday.
Crooks’ injury placement opened a spot on Springfield's for Bernal, who is viewed as the second-ranked catching prospect in the Cardinals’ system. The promotion is Bernal's first promotion to Class AA.
While with Peoria, Bernal has batted .270 with a .762 on-base plus slugging percentage in 96 games as a primary catcher for the Chiefs. Bernal, 20, did not appear for Springfield in Tuesday’s road game against Wichita.
Roby, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, has not pitched in an official game since May 14 with Springfield. The 22-year-old right-hander totaled 33 1/3 innings and posted a 6.75 ERA with 33 strikeouts in seven Class AA starts before landing on the IL.
Cardinals' Victor Scott II describes his stellar catch, Padres rookie Jackson Merrill's response
'Feeling sharp' again, Riley O'Brien recalled to majors after minors stint: Cardinals Extra
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The combination of an upcoming roster crunch and the desire to see how Riley O’Brien’s “electric” stuff plays at the major league level led to the right-handed reliever’s return to the Cardinals on Tuesday.
O’Brien was recalled from Class AAA Memphis and rejoined the big club ahead of the second game of a four-game set against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium. Right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong was designated for assignment to clear a 26-man roster spot for O’Brien.
“In talking to (Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak), he ... wanted to give a runway to Riley and see what that looks like at this level,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of the roster move. “(O’Brien has) been pitching well down below, and we’re going to be in a roster crunch here in a few days anyways with (Steven) Matz and (Lance) Lynn coming back (from the injured list), so it was inevitable.”
Armstrong, 33, was acquired by the Cardinals just ahead of Major League Baseball’s July 30 trade deadline in a deal that sent switch-hitting outfielder Dylan Carlson to the Tampa Bay Rays. The righty appeared in 11 games and totaled 12⅔ innings of relief for Ƶ. He posted a 2.84 ERA and had scoreless performances in his previous seven outings before Tuesday’s roster move.
The timing of Tuesday’s move will allow Armstrong to be eligible for a playoff roster if an interested team claims his off waivers or signs him if he reaches free agency. Armstrong must join a team’s 40-man roster before the roster deadline at 10:59 p.m. Aug. 31.
O’Brien, 29, last pitched in the majors on opening day (March 28) against the Dodgers. He completed one inning, allowed one run and struck out two in that outing in Los Angeles before landing on the injured list with a right forearm flexor strain. The righty faced delays in his recovery before returning to official game action July 20 while on a rehab assignment. He was optioned to Class AAA on Aug. 11 upon his activation from the injured list.
“It was tough, for sure,” O’Brien said of the injury setback. “Obviously, (I was) really excited to make an opening day roster, and then (I had) the setback and it definitely took longer than I was expecting. But I’m feeling good now, and I’m ready to go.”
A November trade acquisition from the Seattle Mariners, O’Brien was a “bright spot” during spring training, where he posted a 0.90 ERA and struck out eight in 10 innings.
He described the slow progression from his injury as “just kind of how it went.”
“It was hard to kind of sit there and watch everyone else throwing and not me, but I spent a lot of time being in the bullpen when the team was home, and I tried to almost just put myself in situations,” O’Brien said of the gap between outings. “Imaging that I would be throwing in this (situation) and trying to just, as best as I could, put myself in a spot that I wasn’t in right there. It’s definitely tough taking a lot of time off, but I’m feeling good now.”
Since returning to game action, O’Brien has posted a 1.35 ERA across 13⅓ innings of work for Memphis. The 6-foot-4 righty flashed upper 90s velocity and a slider in the upper 80s with a 44% whiff rate as he struck out nine batters and held opponents to a .170 batting average in 14 Class AAA games.
O’Brien said his slider took some time to get a feel for. He related the progression with the breaking pitch to what is typical for him as he begins his build-up to throwing again during the offseason. He said the slider is “feeling back to normal and feeling sharp.”
“I’m definitely excited. I felt like I was getting myself right in Triple-A, and I’m happy to be here,” O’Brien said.
The righty rejoins a Cardinals club that entered Tuesday 10½ games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for the lead in the National League Central and six games back of the Atlanta Braves in the race for the third wild-card spot in the NL.
The righty joins a bullpen that has used the likes of Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Fernandez as high-leverage right-handed arms.
When asked how O’Brien may be deployed, Marmol said they will “let the game dictate it.”
O’Brien likened his rehab assignment to a spring training progression. As for his return to the majors, he said it “does kind of feel like I’m going into another season.”
Conteras update
Cardinals starting catcher Willson Contreras will have three weeks of no impact before he can begin a rehab progression for his fractured right middle finger but will not have surgery on the finger, Marmol told reporters, including Post-Dispatch baseball writer Lynn Worthy, after Monday’s game.
There remains a possibility for Contreras to return this season from the injured list after suffering the fracture Saturday when he was hit on the hand by a pitch during the Cardinals’ road series against the Minnesota Twins.
Extra bases
Matz (lower back strain) made a rehab start in Des Moines, Iowa, for Class AAA Memphis. He was scheduled to throw around 65 pitches.
Michael Siani (right oblique strain) began a rehab assignment in Wichita, Kansas, with Class AA Springfield (Missouri). Siani started in center field and was slated for five innings.
Hochman: Credit Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado for salvaging his year — which shows he isn’t cooked
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Look, I don’t want this whole thing to be rosy. Part of why the Cardinals entered Monday at .500 — and 10 games out of first place — is because Nolan Arenado hasn’t been Nolan Arenado.
Everyone — the team, the fans, the media, Arenado himself — expected Nolan to have a strong season. He was paid to do so. And his track record suggested he would. Yet by July 12, Arenado had an an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of just .693 (and only eight homers).
But swing by swing this late summer, Arenado has reestablished himself as an offensive threat. Is it all too late? Probably. The Cardinals would need a jaw-dropping run to make the playoffs, like in 2021, when manager Mike Shildt’s club won 17 straight September games.
But with Shildt’s Padres in town for four games this week, at least Arenado doesn’t look cooked. Paul Goldschmidt sure does. But Arenado entered Monday with a streak of 24 consecutive games reaching base safely, while hitting .323 during that stretch. This is rather reassuring, considering Arenado, 33, is under contract through 2027.
So what’s changed in the batter’s box?
He had dealt with arm and elbow injuries in previous months, but recently, his bat speed has increased — and his offensive numbers have improved.
For the 2024 season, Baseball Savant began tracking bat speed. It’s pretty fascinating. The league average for average bat speed is 71.5 mph. Well, for the season, Arenado’s average bat speed is 70.8 mph (ranked 146th in Major League Baseball).
Since July 13, however, Arenado’s average bat speed is 72.1 mph (91st but still a significant uptick — and has him above the league average).
And check this out: So they call any swing 75 mph or faster a “fast swing.” For the season, Arenado’s fast-swing average is 14.4% (133rd in MLB), but since July 13, it’s 23.9% (94th).
“I’m just getting in a better position to hit, working on a lot of different things,” Arenado said. “You know, the best players are moving fast — their bat speed is usually pretty high. So I’m just trying to get back to that.”
And the biggest upswing regarding his swing? Baseball Savant categorized that 89.9% of Arenado’s swings this year have been “competitive” (209th). But since July 13? It’s been 92.4% of his swings (30th!).
“Yeah, he is taking much better at-bats,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “When you look at bat speed, people immediately go to age. Sometimes the sequencing of your body doesn’t allow for maximal output. And when he is right and firing the way he needs to, it allows for better bat speed — and then better exit (velocity) and better results. So he is getting closer and closer to where he wants to get offensively, and it shows.”
Now, swing speed doesn’t guarantee success. After all, guess who else has a 72.1 mph average bat speed since July 13? Goldschmidt. And Goldy hit .218 in that stretch with a .690 OPS. But Arenado has found more success with an uptick in swing speed.
For the season, Arenado is hitting .273 with 14 homers and a .729 OPS (for context, the league-average OPS is .714 — and after his rookie year, Arenado’s lowest full-season OPS ever was .774).
Since July 13, though, Arenado is hitting .296 in 36 games, with six homers and a .816 OPS.
This includes the homer against Milwaukee last Wednesday — a walk-off, extra-inning grand slam.
Now, part of Arenado’s game over his great career has been his power. The lack of power in 2024 has been astounding — and concerning. From 2014-23, Arenado’s home run rate was 5.3%. This year, it’s 2.7% (and last year was 4.3%). And his doubles are down. His average exit velocity is in the sixth percentile in Major League Baseball (that is not good). Overall, he’s become a prolific singles hitter (and hey, it’s good to be prolific in something, but knowing Nolan, he wants to slug).
In fact, he is tied with Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds for the most singles in the National League (95), though interestingly, that’s eighth place in all of baseball.
Defensively, Arenado is fifth among NL third basemen in defensive runs saved and third in all of baseball in Fangraphs’ defensive rating system. There are other fantastic fielders at his position (Matt Chapman, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Ryan McMahon), so it might be hard to regain status as a Gold Glove finalist — but at least Arenado is in the conversation.
From a hitting standpoint, sure, some of the Arenado aura is gone.