All-Star shortstop Paul DeJong apologized to Cardinals fans for his minor-league demotion, vowing to come back "stronger than ever" when he returns from Triple-A Memphis. A day after DeJong was scratched from the lineup because of back pain, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol revealed that the shortstop will be sidelined for a few days with discomfort that prevents him from bending over to field grounders. The Cardinals activated shortstop Paul DeJong on Sunday ahead of their road series finale against the Mariners. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Five things I think: 1. Even over a small number of PAs. Curt is a massive fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and MLB. He replaced the high leg kick that he used early in his career with a more balanced stance, in which he keeps his weight back and barely lifts his foot. Instead, DeJong has spent the spring hampered by minor injuries. Following an injury- and illness-filled 2020, DeJong clubbed 19 home runs in '21, but he lost his starting job to Edmundo Sosa. He returned in dramatic fashion on Sunday afternoon, batting 7 th and playing shortstop to give Tommy Edman a needed day off. Cardinals Insider Provides Positive Adam Wainwright Update. Unfortunately, the injury to his back derailed him and cost him some time in Grapefruit League play. Andrew Knizner will be Flahertys batterymate as Willson Contreras is slotted into his regular five spot in the lineup as the Cardinals designated hitter. DeJong swung the bat well enough at Triple-A to get back to St. Louis, where he had home runs in his first two games and drove in the winning run with a double against the Yankees a few days later. And from a performance standpoint, hes been playing every day and responding well.. If were being very honest, an 85-100 wRC+ player with some power and quality defense is about as good as we were going to get for a backup SS position. However, after more late-season regression, DeJong decided to tear his batting stance down and start from scratch. Marmol said that the Cardinals want to see where things stand towards the end of DeJongs rehab assignment to make an official decision on the matter, as well as the former All-Stars future with the organization. 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He also hit just six home runs with 25 RBI across 77 games and 237 plate appearances. He spent most of the offseason at the Cards' Florida complex reworking his swing, then he hit .154 with one homer and six walks across 19 plate appearances in Grapefruit League play. Putting the ask on him midstream, I think its something that we want to be cognizant of and give him the best chance of success and just doing it as a knee-jerk reaction. He homered in the second game of the year, and then only had two extra-base hits both doubles the rest of the month. He was optioned to Triple A last May after hitting .130 over the first 24 games . Marmol and Mozeliak met with the rest of the staff on the teams charter flight back to St. Louis from San Francisco on Sunday night and agreed to contemplate the best move for the organization over the teams scheduled off day Monday. Given his recent struggles in previous years, there may not be a clear path back for the former slugger. In the minors. Keep up with the latest trending news in sports with our daily newsletter. Hes hitting better now. JUPITER, Fla. Back in mid-March, long after the majority of the major leaguers had headed back to the clubhouse for the day or left for the golf course there stood Paul DeJong on an . Yet through the last two seasons, DeJong hasnt been able to regain that form. Paul DeJong out with back pain, still looking to rebound - MLB He was never very good at recognizing and driving non-fastballs. Tossing five scoreless innings in Mondays 5-0 win over the Marlins, Woodford struck out seven in what could be his last start of an excellent spring. Back from IL, Paul DeJong starts at shortstop as Cardinals close series However, DeJong may be close to making his way back. He hit just .157 to go along with a lackluster .530 OPS through 77 games with St. Louis. So, Dejong returned. Follow Katie on Twitter @katiejwoo, Cardinals optioned former All-Star shortstop. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He played college baseball at the Illinois State University. Hes struck out just 11. What DeJong has been most of the season was not what he was Friday night. Check back in at stltoday.comthroughout the afternoon and evening for coverage of the game. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Give DeJong some credit. We need him to be where whatever he decides to do, he believes, and its not us having five or six people tell him what to do.. A World Series winner as a player and the big, booming voice of summer as a broadcaster, St. Louis native spent more than 50 years as a champi, Walker was not in the internal lineup Wednesday for a third consecutive day, and the reason: He's being demoted to Class AAA. The Cardinals couldnt justify waiting any longer. He batted just .223 but found his power again, popping nine home runs and posting an .820 OPS. His power would fall back to norms. In AAA, his combined fly ball and infield fly ball rate was 65%. And, yeah, he wears a mask. (. He did not allow a single walk. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. (Photo: Cliff Welch / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). The Cardinals would likely have to take a loss on the deal, but I didnt see any way that they would bring him back. Sosa recorded two hits in a rehab assignment for Double-A Springfield on Tuesday and will be in the lineup once more on Wednesday. Winn, Wednesdays starter, is batting .276 with an .870 OPS this spring. I cant do normal things right now, so it's definitely not playable. Paul DeJong is looking to bounce back in 2023. Call (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelpline.ma.org (MA), Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). In a move long overduethough jarring, nonethelessthe Cardinals demoted Paul DeJong, optioning the shortstop to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday. He released a statement to The Athletic through his agent, Burton Rocks, on Thursday evening. They locked up their guy, hoping and believing that he would at least be an above-average hitter and they had faith they could teach him how to play the position defensively. Tommy Edman has a 94 career wRC+ against right-handed pitchers as a lefty batter. He busted out quickly and then tanked again. Paul DeJong #11 of the St. Louis Cardinals up to bat against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on April 16, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Flaherty has struck out 17 batters and walked 17 in 21 1/3 innings. His highest HR/FB% in the majors 19.8% came during his rookie year. Holmes unleashed a 95 mph sinker that caught a little too much of the plate. He finally had one hiccup outing but cruised into the break with a 1.31 ERA. Motter has had an impressive spring hes posted an .804 OPS with three home runs in 18 spring games while playing virtually around the diamond and the Cardinals do have an open spot on their 40-man roster. I dont know if that was a strategic decision. I do know that it wasnt just a funk. He has gone 1-for-9 with two walks and three strikeouts. I still believe in Tommy Edmans defense. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. While Edman is also a contender to slide to shortstop, the Cardinals would prefer to avoid making an abrupt position change, especially one that would unseat the 2021 Gold Glove winner from a position where he is continuing to excel. The journeyman Motter, who has opened eyes with his versatility and power this spring, is the only member of that group capable of playing the middle infield. Thats not nearly enough time to accurately evaluate any change in DeJongs performance or potential. When DeJong struggled mightily to open last season, the Cardinals sent him to Triple-A and shifted Edman -- a Gold Glove winner at second in 2021 -- to short. ", In July, Holmes made his first All-Star team. However, hes been unable to carry over the momentum from that moment because of multiple injuries. Its been a frustrating spring, because I didn't get to play the field right away and now I can't finish it off, DeJong said. His rookie-season production over a relatively small sample size hid disturbing flaws. 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 2 left on. I think hes had a lot of voices in his ear and we need to simplify that, Mozeliak said. The change in his batted ball data is your muse. The most important thing is just getting a routine and playing again, not having to look over your shoulder, Mozeliak said. Paul DeJong, just three years after being an All-Star with the St. Louis Cardinals, is playing for the Memphis Redbirds, hoping to turn career around. LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain): Since going on the 15-day IL, Naughton has continued a rest program to see how his arm responds. Weve seen BABIP-fueled power surges from him before. Why was Robertson called up and not top prospect Nolan Gorman? With Gorman now in the majors, there is simply no room for DeJong. Gorman, 22, has flashed the tantalizing skills that have made both Cardinals and rival executives gush over his abilities, as he is slashing .385/.500/.539 with a 1.039 OPS in his first 16 plate appearances. DeJong signed a six-year deal with the Cardinals worth $26 million back in 2018, and he is pressed to have a good performance this year if he wants St. Louis to have his 2024 club option ($12.5 million) picked up. And, yeah, he has way too many junk wax baseball cards. This game is about production, Mozeliak said. Wainwright is scheduled to make a second rehab start with Springfield, which will come on the road at Wichita. Prior to joining The Athletic, Katie spent two years covering the minor leagues as an editorial producer for MiLB.com and spent the 2018 MLB season covering the San Diego Padres as an associate reporter for MLB.com. He was able to demonstrate the changes during his rehab assignment as batted .353 with three doubles, two homers, and drove in 14 RBIs in 34 at-bats for Class AAA Memphis after he had gone one-for-nine in three Class Low-A games to start the rehab assignment. Prior to joining The Athletic, Katie spent two years covering the minor leagues as an editorial producer for MiLB.com and spent the 2018 MLB season covering the San Diego Padres as an associate reporter for MLB.com. May 11, 2022 9:18 am. The most likely solution? The issue is now expected to sideline DeJong for at least another week before he can resume baseball activity, heightening the likelihood that he will begin the season on the injured list. That said, its hard to see another team taking on his contract considering his extensive struggles in the majors, and that would mean that DeJong being DFAd is the most likely scenario, barring him bouncing back in a big way and Gorman struggling in the majors. What made it noteworthy was that it was DeJong's 9th home run in the last 12 games. You would be hard-pressed to find two players following more divergent paths in the 2022 season. Mozeliak used that rationale to warrant giving him one more chance and told him as much over the offseason before MLB induced a lockout. What to do about Paul DeJong - Viva El Birdos ". Im sorry this has happened. John Denton. Hes not giving away at-bats and has a really selective eye at the plate. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. I feel like collectively, as an organization, we were positive and patient through that process. Then I started working through the budget. They also did nothing to create a competition for him besides a too-young-to-even-consider Masyn Winn, journeyman not-a-short-stop Taylor Motter, and Evan-Mendoza-replacement Jose Fermin. When he's not writing sports articles, you can find him playing MLB The Show, watching Cardinals games, and scrolling through Star Wars memes. RHP Jack Flaherty (1-2, 2.95 ERA): The last time Flaherty took the mound for the Cardinals, he threw a season-high six innings and allowed a season-high four runs on four hits against Arizona on April 17. His K and BB rates fit those as well. In his return to the lineup, DeJong will hit ahead of rookie Jordan Walker, who got a day off on Saturday and is batting .271 with 11 RBIs in 19 games to start his MLB career. The Cardinals must make a roster move to activate DeJong, and the team is still weighing that decision. So, back to Fridays game. Stream: https://t.co/JyFc2efJXn pic.twitter.com/8QgBfaVWr9, "DeJong put a great swing on one and really hurt him, obviously," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. Our hope is that hell rejoin this club and be a productive member that we saw prior to the pandemic season..