Great News for JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals could have the rookie phenom back in the near future.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals are missing rookie phenom JJ Wetherholt right now, but it does sound like we will see him back in action before the 2026 season comes to an end.

There are just 19 days left until the Cardinals' regular season finale on Sep. 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers. In that span, the Cardinals will play 17 games with a real chance of finishing the season above .500, and maybe even making a last-second run at a playoff spot. The Cardinals are 72-73 on the season right now.

The Cardinals haven't had Wetherholt on the field since Aug. 29 due to wrist tendinitis. On Sep. 1, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared that he spoke to the rookie and he was prescribed an anti-inflammatory shot. On Tuesday, Goold followed up and reported that Wetherholt took swings on Monday and is expected to return during the Cardinals' next home stand.

Progress for JJ Wetherholt

Aug 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt (26) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"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 do not expect Wetherholt to be active on the first day he is eligible – which is the final day of the nine-game, three-city road trip."

The final day of the road trip is on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. Then, the Cardinals will begin a nine-game home stand with contests against the Chicago White Sox, Giants and the Washington Nationals. Three winnable series, especially considering that one of the club's very best players could be back at the top of the lineup in the very near future.

Before Wetherholt landed on the Injured List, he was slashing .242/.343/.370 with a .713 OPS, 17 home runs, 48 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, 14 doubles, and 88 runs scored in 130 games played. Wetherholt was at 4.7 wins above replacement, which is tied for 26th in baseball right now.

Wetherholt's return will not only help the club on the field, but it will give him at least an outside shot at closing the gap with Cincinnati Reds slugger Sal Stewart for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. If Wetherholt can come out on top, that will bring another high draft pick to St. Louis. So, there's a lot riding on the rookie phenom. Fortunately, it sounds like he'll be back very soon.