Cardinals Bring 24-Year-Old Back After 1-Day MiLB Stint

The St. Louis Cardinals brought Thomas Saggese back up to the majors.

Apr 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Thomas Saggese (25) returns to the dugout after being thrown out at second base during a stolen base attempt against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals opted to send 24-year-old utility man Thomas Saggese down to the minors on Monday night, but the stint was short-lived.

St. Louis announced on Tuesday afternoon that Saggese has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis after just one day because of the fact that infielder Ramón Urías has been placed on the Injured List due to right elbow lateral epicondylitis.

"INF Thomas Saggese has been recalled from Memphis (AAA)," the Cardinals announced. "INF Ramón Urías has been placed on the 10-day IL (right elbow lateral epicondylitis)."

Thomas Saggese Is Back

Apr 22, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Thomas Saggese (25) turns a double play against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

INF Thomas Saggese has been recalled from Memphis (AAA).

INF Ramón Urías has been placed on the 10-day IL (right elbow lateral epicondylitis). pic.twitter.com/1bbtiBkGBg

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 5, 2026

That's got to be some sort of record, or at least close to it. Saggese was optioned down to the minors on Monday in order to promote 26-year-old infielder César Prieto. Saggese initially made the Cardinals out of camp as one of three options to play left field, along with Nathan Church and José Fermín. Saggese also can play all over the infield. While this is the case, the young utility man has struggled offensively and is slashing .170/.228/.208 in 18 games played. This is a far cry from 2025 when he slashed .258/.299/.342 with two homers, 25 RBIs and 17 doubles in 82 games played.

The 2026 season hasn't been smooth for him and he hasn't been getting consistent playing time either. So, the move to Triple-A made sense on Monday. He would've gotten consistent at-bats while Prieto would get a shot in the big leagues after a red-hot stint down in Triple-A. Prieto played in 28 games down in Triple-A before his promotion and slashed .311/.357/.566 with a .923 OPS, six homers, 14 RBIs, seven doubles and one triple.

Instead, the plan has shifted for Saggese. He will be back up with the club on Tuesday night as the Cardinals continue their series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Urías has been struggling too. He's slashing .158/.279/.316 with two homers, five RBIs, six walks and nine runs scored in 25 games played. Now, he's heading to the Injured List and will have a chance to reset and heal up before getting into action again.

It's not the exact type of move you want. Again, consistent at-bats would be good for a young guy like Saggese trying to fully find his footing. He's not going to have those as much in the majors. But with Urías heading to the Injured List, the club needed to make a change.