Young Cardinals Outfielder Sustains Season-Ending Injury After Brutal Slide

The St. Louis Cardinals were officially eliminated from the playoffs after Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, which has been a forgone conclusion for months.

At this point, the Cardinals' sole goal should be to stay healthy, something that has been an added challenge over the last few weeks. With just a handful of games left, yet another outfielder sustained a season-ending and offseason-altering injury.

"Bummer for Alec Burleson. After driving in the first run of the game, he stole third and slid hard into the bag, fracturing his left thumb in the process," The Athletic's Katie Woo tweeted Tuesday. "That will end his season. Really encouraging campaign for Burleson this year."

Burleson hit .244 with 29 extra-base hits including eight home runs, 36 RBIs and a .691 OPS (88 OPS+) in 107 games. This was his first full season in the majors. The 24-year-old hit .273 with a .742 OPS in the second half of the season and appears poised for an impactful season in 2024.

That said, the Cardinals have to get there first, and that will not be the easiest journey. As it stands now, Lars Nootbar, Richie Palacios, Jordan Walker and Juan Yepez are the only true outfielders on the roster.

Outfielders Dylan Carlson, Tyler O'Neill and Brendan Donovan -- who had to learn the position on the fly this year -- are all out, likely for the season. They'll miss second baseman Nolan Gorman in the lineup as well.

It's almost time for the Cardinals season to mercifully conclude, kicking off an exciting retooling process this winter.

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