St Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals star Yadier Molina exited Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds and is considered day-to-day with a left knee contusion.

Molina took a foul ball off the bat of Kyle Farmer while working behind the plate in the fourth inning. The Cardinals brought on Andrew Knizner as their new catcher once the nine-time All-Star was deemed unavailable.

Molina entered Saturday batting .279 with seven home runs, 27 RBI and a .497 slugging percentage, the last of which is his highest since 2012. He ranks 11th in WAR (1.2) among catchers so far, per FanGraphs.

Simply by remaining an everyday catcher, the 38-year-old continues to defy Father Time. Unlike most notable backstops, he has yet to make a full-time move to first base.

At 31-27, the Cardinals are 1.5 games back of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. They're 3.5 games off the final wild-card spot in the NL, with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers leading that race.

St. Louis closes out its four-game set with the Reds on Sunday and has a two-game series with Cleveland between off days Monday and Thursday.

Since Molina's injury doesn't appear to be too serious, his time out of the lineup could be minimal.

That could be good news for the Cards since Knizner is batting .225 with a .319 slugging percentage through 54 games over three seasons.

And considering Paul DeJong and Harrison Bader are both on the injured list, manager Mike Shildt can ill afford to be without another regular contributor in his lineup.

St. Louis Cardinals star Jack Flaherty was moved to the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain, the team announced Tuesday.

Katie Woo of The Athletic added more details to the report, saying that Flaherty's injury is "significant" and manager Mike Shildt had no timetable for his return. 

To fill the void on the roster, Johan Oviedo was called up from the team's Triple-A affiliate.

Flaherty's last outing came Monday, when he lasted 5.0 innings and gave up two runs, fanning nine in the process. He exited with left side tightness and told reporters his exit was more preventative than of immediate concern, but it seems that has changed after he went through additional testing on Tuesday, per Woo. 

The 25-year-old is one of the strongest hurlers in the league right now. In his fifth year with the Cardinals, he has an MLB-best eight wins through 11 starts, posting a 2.90 ERA. He has walked 20 and struck out 67 for the Cardinals, who enter Tuesday's tilt with the Los Angeles Dodgers just half a game behind the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central.

Oviedo, who is in his second year in the league, has made five appearances this season and has a 5.40 ERA through 20.0 innings. 

With an upcoming series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals will look to Adam Wainwright, Kwang Hyun Kim and John Gant to lead the rotation, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. 

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt believes that tons of baseball players are using illegal substances, so his pitcher shouldn't be called out for it.

"This is baseball's dirty little secret, and it's the wrong time in the wrong arena to expose it," Shildt said after his team's 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

As Ryan Fagan of Sporting News noted, umpire Joe West confiscated relief pitcher Giovanny Gallegos' hat after inspecting it for substances and then ejected Shildt for arguing about it during the game:

"Gio wears the same hat all year," Shildt continued. "Are these things that baseball really wants to crack down on? No, it's not. I know that firsthand from the commissioner's office. … There are people not even trying to hide and flipping the bird to the league for using concocted substances. It felt like a setup, to be honest with you."

West commented on the incident after the game and said he was looking to protect Gallegos from ejection or punishment by having him switch his hat:

In March, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the league sent a memo before the season explaining its plan to crack down on substances. The plan was to use compliance officers, lab tests of random samples of baseballs and Statcast spin-rate analysis to compare pitchers' spin rate to their norms.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported in April that MLB was investigating Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer after suspicious substances were found on baseballs from one of his starts.

Umpires collected baseballs from one of Bauer's starts and sent them to the league for more inspection after they reportedly had "visible markings and were sticky."

As for Wednesday's game, the incident didn't impact Gallegos' performance.

He pitched 1.2 shutout innings and struck out three as the Cardinals ended their three-game losing streak.

The St. Louis Cardinals could have brought the legendary Albert Pujols back for an encore after he parted ways with the Los Angeles Angels, but he eventually signed with the L.A. Dodgers.

Cardinals president John Mozeliak said such a move would have been complex for the National League Central team.

"Clearly, the story of trying to bring him back would have been an exciting narrative, but the reality on how much playing time, and where he fit in, seemed very complicated at this time," he said, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

There were some connections between Pujols and the Cardinals prior to his signing with the Dodgers.

Katie Woo of The Athletic reported the team held "limited internal conversations" about bringing him back, while Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported there was some interest.

"That's like the million dollar question," Pujols said in March when asked if he will ever return to the Cardinals, per Nightengale. "Everybody asks me that. Hey, I don't know what's going to happen. This is the last year of my contract, and I feel like I can play. I feel good. My body feels great. Mentally, I feel like I can continue to play. But I don't know, we'll see what happens. Who knows?"

Whether the 41-year-old ever rejoins St. Louis, he will forever be one of the best players in franchise history.

His two World Series titles, three MVP awards, six Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves all came with the Cardinals, as did nine of his 10 All-Star selections.

Pujols had a .328/.420/.617 slash line with 445 home runs and 1,329 RBI in 11 seasons with St. Louis, which was much better than his slash line of .256/.311/.447 with 222 home runs and 783 RBI in 10 seasons with the Angels.

Still, Pujols is past his prime and would have struggled to crack the lineup for the Cardinals considering there is no designated hitter in the National League and Paul Goldschmidt is entrenched at first base.

Free-agent first baseman Albert Pujols is reportedly drawing interest from the St. Louis Cardinals, the club with which he spent the first 11 years of his Hall of Fame career, after being released by the Los Angeles Angels.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the update Saturday.

Pujols has showcased some pop this season, tallying five home runs in 24 games, but his other numbers at the plate have lagged. He sported a .198 batting average and .622 OPS when the Angels designated him for assignment last week.

L.A. manager Joe Maddon suggested the club had little choice since Pujols resisted becoming a reserve and the team needed to give at-bats to Jared Walsh and Shohei Ohtani.

"The real conclusion was that we had to get Jared Walsh in there at first base consistently. And Ohtani as the DH, based on a lot of different reasons that you're recognizing right now," Maddon told Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville on The Athletic Baseball Show's Starkville podcast. "And Albert really not being satisfied with being a bench player. So that's really what it comes down to. It's honestly no more complicated than that."

A return to St. Louis would not present Pujols with a full-time spot.

The Cardinals feature Paul Goldschmidt at first base, and the National League doesn't have the benefit of the designated hitter this season after the experiment during the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Pujols hasn't played another position on a regular basis since patrolling left field for the Cards across 113 games in 2003, and it's unlikely he has the mobility to switch back at this stage of his career.

St. Louis ranks fifth in MLB with a 23-16 record, so Pujols could return as the team's primary pinch hitter and receive one or two starts a week to give Goldschmidt a rest. But if he wants his name on the lineup card every night, his best chance would likely be with an American League club.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported Friday three to four teams have shown interest in the 41-year-old Dominican Republic native.

Pujols was one of MLB's best players during his stint with the Cardinals. He earned nine All-Star selections, was voted NL MVP three times and won a pair of World Series titles. While he remained a solid contributor for most of his time with L.A., he never lived up to that elite standard after signing a 10-year, $240 million contract.

He's compiled a lackluster .694 OPS since the start of the 2017 season, which will make it difficult for Pujols to find a starting job and could increase his chances of returning to the Cards in a smaller role.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed pitcher Carlos Martinez on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right ankle injury.

Martinez was hurt Friday while celebrating teammate Jack Flaherty's first career home run in a win over the Colorado Rockies.

The long home run by the pitcher excited the dugout, including fellow starter Adam Wainwright.

Martinez said Saturday he twisted his ankle on a dugout step and pitched through "a lot" of pain in his start that day, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. The right-hander gave up five earned runs on six hits and five walks in five innings.

It came after his best performance of the year, when he allowed zero runs in eight innings during a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 2.

It's been an up-and-down year for the 29-year-old, who has a 4.35 ERA with just 22 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. He earned losses in each of his first four starts before getting wins in his last three.

Martinez made just five starts in 2020, ending the year with a 9.90 ERA and 2.10 WHIP in 20 innings. It was a disappointing showing for a player who earned All-Star selections in 2015 and 2017 and posted a 3.22 ERA with nine strikeouts per nine innings from 2015-19.

He has proved he can be a front-of-the-rotation starter, but the injury created a question mark in what could be his final year with the franchise. The Cardinals hold a $17 million team option for 2022 with a $500,000 buyout.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was added to the 10-day injured list with a right foot tendon strain, and the Cardinals recalled catcher Ali Sanchez from the club's alternate site, the team announced Tuesday. 

Molina, 38, is slashing .323/.366/.631 with five home runs and 14 RBI to begin the season, while the 23-year-old Sanchez has just 10 MLB plate appearances in his career with one hit, one walk and three strikeouts. 

The Cardinals host the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on Tuesday with the first pitch slated for 7:45 p.m. ET. 

Sanchez is ranked the No. 24 prospect in the Cardinals farm system by MLB Pipeline, with scouts grading his fielding a 60 (on a scale of 20-80) and a score of 40 overall. 

Per Pipeline: 

"Sanchez’s true value is his defensive ability. An excellent receiver, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound backstop moves well behind the plate, is praised for his game-calling and controls the running game with a plus arm. In the batter’s box, Sanchez controls the zone and doesn’t strike out often. While Sanchez currently has below-average power and will never be a slugger, the Cardinals feel there is a bit more pop than what he has shown so far."

Backup catcher Andrew Knizner should receive the bulk of playing time while Molina remains on IL, but expect Sanchez to get a few opportunities to prove himself after St. Louis acquired him from the New York Mets in February for cash considerations. 

Still, the sooner Molina returns the better as the Cards (11-11) look to separate themselves from the pack in the National League Central. 

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos sparked a bench-clearing brawl after flexing, yelling and standing over St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jake Woodford following a play at home plate on Saturday:

The Cardinals didn't take kindly to Castellanos' actions, with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina notably shoving the outfielder from behind before saying a few words. Castellanos was later ejected.

After the game, Castellanos provided a quote that showcased his respect for Molina, a nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion.

"That guy could punch me in the face and I'd still ask him for a signed jersey," Castellanos said, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

Molina is a nine-time Gold Glove winner who has played with the Cardinals for his entire 18-year MLB career. He's a lock for the Baseball Hall of Fame someday and one of the most respected players in the game. It's no surprise Castellanos respects Molina's stature even after a heated matchup, which the Reds won 9-6.

Speaking of the brawl, Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provided some context for what went down:

The Reds and Cardinals will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET in Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park.

Nolan Arenado is happy to be with the St. Louis Cardinals after spending his first eight years in the majors with the Colorado Rockies.

"I've moved on," Arenado told Marly Rivera of ESPN. "That might hurt some people's feelings over there, but I have."

The third baseman was sent to the Cardinals in exchange for five players in a deal competed in February. He noted the mixed reaction received after the trade:

"They'll always have a special place in my heart, the fans—the people. Regardless of the people that don't like me there, or I don't like them, I appreciate every single one of them. I appreciate the love. I appreciate the hate. I know that I can look back at my years in Colorado and know that I gave everything that I had. I have no regrets. Now I'm here in St. Louis and I'm going to give them everything I have too."

Arenado agreed to an eight-year extension before the 2019 season but is now poised to spend the majority of that contract in St. Louis.

The 29-year-old had been one of the best two-way players in the majors with the Rockies, earning eight straight Gold Glove awards to go with four Silver Sluggers and five All-Star selections.

From 2015 to '19, Arenado averaged 40 home runs and 124 RBI with a .300 average, winning the National League's home run title three times in this stretch.

This didn't lead to much team success, with Colorado making the playoffs just twice and never advancing beyond the division series. The squad fell short of the postseason last year despite an expanded field. The Rockies are just 1-4 in playoff games since 2010.

Arenado is now part of a team that is a top contender in the NL and just two years removed from reaching the NLCS. 

"It's a different vibe," he said of the Cardinals. "The meetings. The attention to detail."

The Cardinals are set to begin their regular season Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Arenado won't make his return to Colorado until July 1.  

Albert Pujols would consider a reunion with the St. Louis Cardinals prior to his retirement from MLB.

Speaking with USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the future Hall of Famer left the door open to a return to St. Louis when asked if he'd like to play for the Cardinals one last time.

"That's like the million-dollar question," Pujols said. "Everybody asks me that. Hey, I don't know what's going to happen. This is the last year of my contract, and I feel like I can play. I feel good. My body feels great. Mentally, I feel like I can continue to play. But I don't know, we'll see what happens. Who knows?"

Emotions were raw on both sides when Pujols left the Cardinals to sign with the Los Angeles Angels after the 2011 season.

That antipathy was gone by the time he stepped into the batter's box at Busch Stadium in 2019, his first game in St. Louis since departing. The legendary first baseman received a standing ovation and then took a moment to savor the adulation after hitting a solo home run.

Pujols' contract with the Angels expires after this season, but bringing him back to St. Louis may not be on the Cardinals' radar, even if the National League were to adopt the designated hitter.

The 41-year-old still possesses some power but is otherwise a shadow of the player who won three National League MVPs from 2005 to 2009.

Pujols slugged just .395 in 39 games last season. Even if you write off 2020 on account of the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, his performance in previous years wasn't much better.

He has posted negative WAR in each of the last four seasons, per FanGraphs. His OPS with the Angels (.761) is nearly 300 points worse compared to his 11 seasons with the Cardinals (1.037).

St. Louis has an All-Star first baseman in Paul Goldschmidt, who is signed through 2024, and slotting Pujols into an everyday DH role doesn't make sense given his declining offense.

The next time he's wearing a Cardinals hat might be when his Hall of Fame plaque is unveiled in Cooperstown, New York.