Cardinals Instantly Rewarded For Promoting Nelson Velázquez

The St. Louis Cardinals were rewarded right away on Friday night after promoting Nelson Velázquez to the big league.

Cardinals fans have been waiting for Velázquez since Spring Training. Throughout the offseason, the Cardinals were on the lookout for a right-handed bat and signed Velázquez to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. He played so well throughout camp and arguably should've been on the Opening Day roster.

He played in 15 games and slashed .357/.449/.667 with a 1.116 OPS, four homers, 10 homers, and seven walks. If the club had put him on the big league roster out of camp, they would've had to make a 40-man roster move.

The Cardinals Made A Great Call On Saturday

May 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Nelson Velazquez (38) hits a three run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

On Friday, St. Louis promoted him and Jimmy Crooks to the big league roster to give the offense a spark and was rewarded right away. Crooks didn't play on Friday, but Velázquez started as the club's designated hitter and batted fourth. In his big return to the majors for the first time since 2024, he went 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBIs, and two runs. His homer was in his first at-bat in the majors since June 23, 2024, with the Kansas City Royals.

Nelson Velázquez is playing in his first Major League game in nearly two years - and he homered in his first at-bat! pic.twitter.com/J0NEDXKC6o
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2026

It's certainly a positive story for the organization. The Cardinals' offense has been struggling recently and the bats broke out on Friday and took down the Chicago Cubs, 6-5. Velázquez drove in three runs and scored two other runs. That's a clear instant impact for the 27-year-old.

When the Cardinals entered the 2026 season, power was a question. Jordan Walker's significant breakout has quieted the noise around the power issues in St. Louis. JJ Wetherholt has also shown more power than expected. But the club has needed more pop in general, and that's where Velázquez and Crooks will come into play.

In 2023, Velázquez hit 17 homers in 53 games in the majors with the Cubs and the Kansas City Royals. In 2024, he hit eight homers in 64 games played. He has significant right-handed pop.

Crooks is going to improve the offensive output at catcher for the club. He hit 13 homers and drove in 29 runs in 39 games down in Triple-A before his promotion. All in all, Friday was a great day for the organization.

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