Cardinals Officially Call Up Intriguing Slugger After Yet Another Unfortunate Injury
The St. Louis Cardinals sure can't catch a break this season.
St. Louis has been disappointing, to say the least. Many expected the Cardinals to compete for a World Series title this season but instead are in last place in the National League Central with an abysmal 51-66 record. The Cardinals have dealt with inconsistent play this season, but injuries have also been a major factor for the club.
St. Louis can't seem to get away from the injury bug and was dealt another blow as outfielder Dylan Carlson was placed on the injured list with a left oblique injury. Slugger Luken Baker was called back up to the big leagues to fill Carlson's roster spot, according to the club.
"(First baseman) Luken Baker has been recalled from Memphis (AAA)," the club said on Twitter. "(Outfielder) Dylan Carlson (left oblique) has been placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 10."
Carlson has had a roller coaster of a season with trade rumors flowing ahead of the trade deadline. Hopefully, he will be able to get back on the field in the not-so-distant future and get back on track.
Baker is an intriguing option at the big league level. The 26-year-old has appeared in seven games with the Cardinals this season and slashed .263/.300/.263 but he was even more impressive at the minor-league level. So far this season Baker has clubbed an eye-popping 33 home runs and has driven in 98 runs in just 84 games with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. He certainly has some major offensive pop so now maybe he will be able to show it at the big league level in this extended opportunity.
The 26-year-old could be a very interesting player to keep an eye out for the rest of the season. If he can impress with the big league club, maybe he will have a role out there next season. Also, he could be an intriguing trade candidate this upcoming offseason.
More MLB: Ex-Cardinals Slugger Reportedly Available; Would Reunion Make Sense?
