Cardinals Gold Glover on Thin Ice as JJ Wetherholt Nears Return

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have a decision to make when JJ Wetherholt returns.

Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) runs off the field at the end of the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals should get a significant boost in the near future with JJ Wetherholt nearing a return from wrist tendinitis.

On Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the current expectation is that Wetherholt will return during the Cardinals' next home stand.

"JJ Wetherholt (wrist tendinitis) took swings Monday at Oracle Park and began a progression that is designed to bring him back to the lineup during the upcoming home stand," Goold wrote.

The Cardinals wrapped up their three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday with a disastrous loss. St. Louis blew a 6-1 lead as the Giants scored six runs in the eighth inning alone on Wednesday to take the contest and sweep the series. A disaster, to say the least. Now, the Cardinals are three games under .500 at 72-75. While not officially out of a playoff spot, it's safe to say a Wild Card spot is not in St. Louis' future this season.

Still, the return of Wetherholt will be positive and is much needed. When the Cardinals do activate him, they're going to have a tough decision to make to free up space on the roster. Who should lose their spot in order to make room for Wetherholt? Arguably, the guy to watch should be former Gold Glove Award winner Ramón Urías, unless an injury pops up elsewhere. For example, Masyn Winn was scratched on Wednesday from the lineup with a sore thumb. If he needs to go back on the Injured List, that would be a seamless switch.

A Tough Decision Is Coming

Sep 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But if the Cardinals need to take someone off the roster, Urías should be the guy. Thomas Saggese was recently promoted back up to the big league roster and has been among the hottest hitters in the Cardinals' lineup. He can't go down. José Fermín has been a solid utility man for the Cardinals all season to this point. He shouldn't lose his spot either. Bryan Torres is another utility man for the Cardinals, but he has also played well. He entered the day on Wednesday slashing .259/.329/.378 with a .707 OPS. He also went 1-for-3 on Wednesday.

Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II are other guys who could easily be sent down, but the Cardinals arguably should give them a shot to show what they can do down the stretch because they both realistically could be impactful to the 2027 season.

Urías is slashing .157/.268/.337 and entered the day on Wednesday with a .612 OPS. He has a mutual option for the 2027 season, but those are rarely picked up. He's not a part of the long-term picture for the Cardinals and has not been able to get his bat going when he has been healthy this season.

A tough decision is coming for the Cardinals when Wetherholt is activated. It should be Urías who gets the boot next.