Tommy Edman, the Cardinals regular starting shortstop, is not in manager Oliver Marmols starting lineup after he homered in the ninth inning on Saturday. During the offseason, I argued that DeJong would likely be traded. I do know that it wasnt just a funk. "I'm just really happy to be back here and contributing the way that I am.". 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 . WASHINGTON -- Paul DeJong is back with the Cardinals, though not officially, yet. Paul DeJong was at bat for the home club. Freddie Freeman . Yeah, it's not ideal, Marmol said after the Cards' 4-1 win over the Mets on Wednesday. I thought hitting was good, but I wasn't in a flex spine position now I know I pushed it a little too far, so I need to back off.. Subscribe to the Cold Wire MLB newsletter here! He played college baseball at the Illinois State University. They all try a lot of things. Ryan Fagan, the national MLB writer for The Sporting News, has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2016. He made his MLB debut in May 2017 and was named July's NL Rookie of the Month that same season. Wainwright made a rehab appearance on Wednesday with Class AA Springfield and completed three innings, allowing two runs on four hits. St. Louis-L.A. Dodgers Runs ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. His pull percentage was the highest of his career at any level at 63.6%. Sign up to comment on articles, engage with fellow sports fans, and contribute to high-quality discussions. St Louis Cardinals News: Paul DeJong working his way back - Redbird Rants 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. But that start ended with him allowing a homer, double, and a walk to the last three batters he faced to open up the seventh. But his weakness is against right-handed pitching. He struggled through an injury- and illness-plagued 2020 and then saw his batting average plummet to .197 in 2021. He ended up with just 40 PAs at Memphis. Cardinals latest, deflating loss compounds concerns, Man shot, killed near Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis, What was Andrew Knizner thinking? Help us maintain a respectful and inclusive community. "Tough inning. I think the Milwaukee Brewers' offense is starting to show signs of life after finishing April ranked 17th in OPS (.673) and 19th in wRC+ (95). The righty is expected to throw around 75 pitches in the outing. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the position of shortstop and was drafted in the 2015 MLB Draft in the fourth round. Cardinals Paul DeJong avoids . For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Baseball, the sport of 162 games and six months and enough time for ebbs and flows that other sports dont allow, presented an opportunity for DeJong on Friday, and he seized the moment. Zachary Silver. Tommy Edman has a 94 career wRC+ against right-handed pitchers as a lefty batter. Andrew Knizner will be Flahertys batterymate as Willson Contreras is slotted into his regular five spot in the lineup as the Cardinals designated hitter. It wasnt looking any better, so we made the move.. DeJongs LD% in AAA this season was over 40%. However, DeJong may be close to making his way back. SEATTLE -- Shortstop Paul DeJong, whose career has been marred by shocking struggles much of the past three seasons, is headed back to the Cardinals and could be activated as soon as Sunday, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Saturday. That K rate is your soapbox. RHP Chris Flexen (0-3, 7.79 ERA): Flexen comes into Sunday set to face an NL Central team for the third consecutive time. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Obviously, its still very early in the season. What to do about Paul DeJong - Viva El Birdos But it would make this club better. Five things I think: 1. Thats pretty good for a 23-year-old shortstop. Remove a leg kick. Undoubtedly, DeJong's 2018 and 2019 seasons with the club were his best. 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And it would backfire on him. April 22nd, 2023. In June, Holmes allowed one earned run and three walks and struck out 12 in 12 innings. His HR/FB rate was 25%. It was going to be a move where he went down. The Cardinals could take both Yepez and Motter on their Opening Day roster, with Yepez manning the bench bat role and Motter being used as a utility man when needed. Gorman will start at second and bat third behind leadoff hitter Lars Nootbaar and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. DeJong went 2-for-13 in his spring appearances, though he did work six walks, and one of those two hits was a home run. I can't touch my toes. Paul DeJong wears a mask when he is in public. Very exciting for an organization that hasnt had a power hitter at the position since well, ever. (Last updated: April 21), 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. The Cardinals will send right-hander Jack Flaherty to the mound as they look to avoid a sweep vs. Seattle in the first leg of their three-city, west coast road trip. He wasn't much better last . Do more work off the tee. DeJong spent most of the offseason reworking his approach at the plate, opting for a minimal-stride stance that allows him to be better balanced and on time for pitches. Back from IL, Paul DeJong starts at shortstop as Cardinals close series 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.. But with Motter having recorded a hit in two of his first three games, DeJongs path back to the big leagues will not be devoid of adversity. All indications are that he worked in the offseason to improve, simplify his batting approach, and try to get himself back to his former production levels. That new stance seemed to be paying off for DeJong in early March when he hit a long home run off the batters eye against the Nationals. Unfortunately, the injury to his back derailed him and cost him some time in Grapefruit League play. She is a graduate of Arizona State University and originates from Northern California. In his career, DeJong has shown reverse splits. @ zachsilver. Across a span of eight games to open May, DeJong went 3-for-26. I think hes had a lot of voices in his ear and we need to simplify that, Mozeliak said. After an All-Star season in 2019, DeJong's offensive performance has slipped steadily over the last three years. Could Paul DeJong provide a 94 wRC+ or better against primarily right-handed pitchers while giving Edman time off to stay fresh defensively? You would be hard-pressed to find two players following more divergent paths in the 2022 season. The result was a league-average player with improving defense. Try to go the other way. DeJong, who hit at least 19 home runs in each of his first three MLB seasons before seeing his batting average plummet to below .200 the past two years, will be activated following rehab stints with Single-A Palm Beach and Triple-A Memphis. His second and third at-bats resulted in bloop singles at 75.7 and 69.5 mph, respectively. While in AAA, DeJong was up and down, displaying the same kinds of traits he has had for years in the majors with the added production bump from facing exclusively minor league arms. Heres a simple rule that Ive followed in player analysis: players dont change later in their careers. Next. Thats the role DeJong is being asked to fill, even if hes being paid starters money. Part of me wants to see progress in there. Mozeliak used that rationale to warrant giving him one more chance and told him as much over the offseason before MLB induced a lockout. Though DeJong has amassed a 0.5 bWAR on the year, he was hitting just .177 with a .648 OPS and seven homers when he went on the IL. Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong fouls a ball off his left foot while taking batting practice on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, at the club's spring training complex in Jupiter, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. (CT) at T-Mobile Park. 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. Clay Holmes was on the mound for the visitors. Cardinals Insider Provides Update On Paul DeJong Try to pull the ball more. Paul DeJong rejoins Cardinals in Washington - MLB Video by Derrick Goold. Lets look at his AAA season to see if we can find a glimmer of hope in his tiny sample size of 40 plate appearances. Wainwright is scheduled to make a second rehab start with Springfield, which will come on the road at Wichita. With 1.5 years left on his six-year, $26 million contract, it feels rather improbable that he sees extended time in the majors with St. Louis. RHP Adam Wainwright (groin): Wainwright made a rehab appearance on Wednesday with Class AA Springfield and completed three innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Thats why taking the time to start becoming comfortable with a possible transition now is so imperative. His highest HR/FB% in the majors 19.8% came during his rookie year. The righty is expected to throw around 75 pitches in the outing. I think the ability to go down there and have a reset is important, but hes going to have to actually make physical change so that the result looks different.. His K and BB rates fit those as well. He cut down on his Ks in 18 and 19. Exciting. I know things can change. And Paul Dejong has been what hes been for a while now. Over his four starts this season, Flexen has allowed 22 hits and 15 runs in 17 1/3 innings. MORE:Cardinals bolster pitching staff in deadline deal with Pirates for Quintana. DeJongs presence on the roster seems to illicit only extreme positions. But the back issue flared up Tuesday, preventing DeJong from fully bending down to field grounders. St. Louis Cardinals' Paul DeJong bats during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday, April 9, 2022, in St. Louis. Paul DeJong steps into opportunity he might have 'dreaded' before and 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. Flaherty has struck out 17 batters and walked 17 in 21 1/3 innings. And those pitches will be on the black in challenge counts and with incredible break and spin. In that start, Flaherty retired 10 consecutive batters from the second through the fifth innings. Its probably a combination of all three. Will it last? I fully commend DeJong for trying something new and for his willingness to put in the work to change. He released a statement to The Athletic through his agent, Burton Rocks, on Thursday evening. 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. To create space for DeJong on the 26-man roster, Taylor Motter was designated for assignment. DeJong, who has been the clubs starting shortstop since 2017 and is signed through 2023 on a six-year, $26 million contract, was 10-for-77 with a meager .417 OPS through 24 games. Others want to believe he can get back to his All-Star self. But which former are we talking about? 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 . At least not very often. When the St. Louis Cardinals optioned Paul DeJong to Triple-A Memphis, the domino effect immediately followed. Jeff Chiu/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 9 St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson, right, is congratulated by Paul DeJong (11) after hitting a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game . But we passed exciting up a long time ago. He hit fewer fly balls. 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. The Cardinals are hopeful he can rediscover the swing that helped him hit 25 home runs as a rookie in 2017, 19 in 2018 and a career-best 30 in 2019, when he was the NLs starting shortstop in the All-Star Game. All while providing solid-to-good defense himself? I dont know if that was a strategic decision. And have you gotten ample amount of playing time to be prepared when called upon? Mozeliak said from T-Mobile Park on Saturday before the Cardinals faced the Mariners. We know that he has changed his swing, simplified his approach at the plate, and had a big day ahead of his promotion. He and Tommy Edman were also taking reps at shortstop before batting practice. He has struck out 11 times, which is 26.8 percent of the time, and that is a number that is far too high. Both Mozeliak and Marmol have said before that when Gorman is called up, it will be as an everyday player. The Cardinals are 3-6 through their first nine games. Tommy Edman will be the clubs starting shortstop this season, and while the Cardinals have a plethora of versatile infielders, DeJong was the most serviceable option at shortstop behind Edman. Rodriguez did not allow a hit or walk in the outing and needed just nine pitches (seven strikes) to complete the outing. ST. LOUIS What a major league baseball player was yesterday is not necessarily what he is today. He was optioned to Triple A last May after hitting .130 over the first 24 games of the year. 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. But its highly possible that DeJong has played his last game in St. Louis, which would be the latest sign that the Cardinals middle infield of the future will feature Edman at shortstop and Gorman at second base. 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. Thats a recipe for the debacle we saw in 21 and 22 when the only thing that kept DeJong alive was very good defense, the memory of better days, and the contract he signed back when. Its hard for me to say that anything worked. Youre never looking at rehabs solely on performance, but he has been playing well, Mozeliak said. (Last updated: April 18), Monday vs. San Francisco: LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-2, 4.84) vs. TBA, Tuesday vs. San Francisco: RHP Jake Woodford 1-2, 6.05) vs. TBA, Wednesday vs. San Francisco: LHP Steven Matz (0-3, 6.55) vs. TBA. USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY. Maybe they just really like a very likable player that theyve worked with for a decade and wanted to give him another chance? Tired of DeJong? 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. DeJong had been steadily declining since his All-Star-caliber season in 2019, when he hit just .233 but hammered out 30 home runs and 31 doubles. Still, Mozeliak is hesitant to act on an impulse without at least vetting other options. Maybe they still loved hope as a strategy? Instead, DeJong has spent the spring hampered by minor injuries. However, I remain skeptical that the changes he says hes made will have any significant impact on his performance at the Major League level over the long haul. A nightly look at the day\'s top sports stories, and a first look at the topics St. Louis fans will be talking about tomorrow. Odds and lines subject to change. It's more just execution, consistency and just fine-tuning stuff.". He also dabbles in college hoops and other sports. The competition for the right-handed bench bat remains wide open. Hes struck out just 11. That move is expected to come late Saturday night or before Sundays game. The hope is that the move to Triple A will alleviate some of the pressure that had been accumulating since late last season, when DeJong lost his starting job to Edmundo Sosa. DeJong, 29, almost certainly would have gotten those at-bats -- and would have fielded the four groundouts to shortstop over the games first four innings. His walk rate would likely stay the same, if only because he wasnt seeing balls in the zone. And the Cardinals talked a lot about how he had to compete for his spot on the roster out of Spring Training. He was sent down to Triple-A Memphis, lost. His fast start in his return from the minors is reminiscent of 2022 when, following a nearly three-month-long demotion due to poor performance, DeJong cranked homers in consecutive days and went on a . Arenado and ONeill scored, and the Cardinals suddenly led 4-3. The 29-year-old baseball player was born in Orlando, Florida, USA. After a fun week of reminiscence, thats exactly what happened. But when you think about whats best for him, whats best for the organization and really this club right now, we found it was going to be difficult to get him at-bats and get right while were trying to win games at the major-league level. How will the Cardinals cover shortstop? While Marmol declined the notion there was a set timetable for when the organization would like to see progress from DeJong, there was also a growing sense that the clock was ticking. There was a problem saving your notification. With a little more than two weeks remaining before St. Louis opens the regular season, DeJong is still sitting on 19 plate appearances and 13 at-bats in what was tabbed as a make-or-break Spring Training for him. The most likely solution? John Denton. He has gone 1-for-9 with two walks and three strikeouts. Those are never easy conversations, Marmol said. In the process, hes outpitched Hudson considerably. The warning signs were there from the beginning. Inside the Clubhouse: Did the Cardinals make a mistake with Paul DeJong?
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