JJ Wetherholt Returns as Cardinals Cut Ex-Gold Glove Winner

The St. Louis Cardinals are moving on from the veteran infielder to make room for JJ Wetherholt.

Jul 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) catches the ball for an out on the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals are getting a massive piece back at the top of the order with 10 games left in the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season.

Cardinals rookie phenom JJ Wetherholt hasn't played in a game since Aug. 29, but that will change. The 24-year-old is back. Wetherholt was activated off the Injured List on Wednesday. St. Louis announced the return of Wetherholt while also announcing that former Gold Glove Award winner Ramón Urías and Peter Strzelecki have both been designated for assignment.

"INF JJ Wetherholt has been activated from the 10-day IL," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Peter Strzelecki has been reinstated from the 15-day IL and designated for assignment. INF Ramón Urías has been designated for assignment."

RHP Peter Strzelecki has been reinstated from the 15-day IL and designated for assignment.

INF Ramón Urías has been designated for assignment.

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 16, 2026

JJ Wetherholt Is Back

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

As Wetherholt inched closer and closer to a return, it seemed like Urías could be on thin ice. On Sep. 9, we broke it down. Urías joined the Cardinals this past offseason to be a veteran bat for the club across the infield. Unfortunately, things just didn't work out. The 32-year-old ended up playing in just 43 games in a Cardinals uniform, due in large part to injuries. Overall, he slashed .151/.260/.326 with a .586 OPS, four homers and nine RBIs in what has been one of the most difficult seasons of his career to this point.

Urías was a 2.2-WAR player in 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros. He played in 112 games and slashed .241/.292/.384 with a .675 OPS, 11 homers and 44 RBIs. That version of Urías would've been a game-changer for St. Louis, especially as injuries popped up in the infield, including to Wetherholt, Masyn Winn and Blaze Jordan. Plus, Nolan Gorman was demoted down to Triple-A earlier in the season. Unfortunately, things just didn't pan out.

On the bright side, Wetherholt is back. The young infielder has played in 130 games for St. Louis so far this season and he has slashed .242/.343/.370 with 17 homers, 48 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and 14 doubles while racking up 4.7 wins above replacement. At this point, Wetherholt's chances of winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award have taken a hit. But now he has 10 games left to make his case.

On a smaller note, Strzelecki made eight appearances with the Cardinals in the majors this season and he logged a 5.79 ERA in 14 innings of action.