Inside The Cardinals

Could Key Cardinals Injury Open Door For No. 4 Prospect?

Should the Cardinals give the prospect a shot?
Patrick McAvoy|
Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images
Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals got some tough news this week.

Iván Herrera was placed on the Injured List due to a hamstring injury and as of right now it's not clear when he will be back. After an MRI, it was revealed that has a Grade 2 strain that will knock him out of action for at least two to six weeks.

Luckily, the Cardinals have had a surprising amount of catcher depth at the big league level this year. On top of Herrera, the Cardinals have had Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo. Herrera saw a lot of time at designated hitter before going down with his injury. Because of this, the Cardinals don't need to make any big changes to the catcher position.

While this is the case, if his injury recovery ends up being on the longer side, should St. Louis look to the Cardinals and specifically one of their top prospects?

Cardinals No. 4 prospect Jimmy Crooks is knocking on the big league door with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. Crooks has played in 55 games so far this season in Triple-A and is slashing .250/.311/.436 with 10 homers and 51 RBIs. This is after slashing .321/.410/.498 with 11 homers and 62 RBIs in 90 games in Double-A last year.

Crooks is a guy who will get a chance at some point. The Cardinals have two solid options in the big leagues right now in Pagés and Pozo, but should they also consider Cooks if Herrera has to be out for a while?

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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