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Thomas Saggese Has Emerged as a Useful Depth Piece to Target
Across 149 plate appearances in 2026, St. Louis Cardinals utility man Thomas Saggese is hitting .267/.315/.407 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 24-year-old's strikeout rate remains slightly elevated at 24.8%, but it's still an improvement on the 28.1% mark he posted in 2025. Saggese also brings solid underlying contact metrics, as he's logged a 9.9% barrel rate and 43.6% hard-hit rate. With Cardinals middle infielders Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt both missing time at the start of September, Saggese has been playing an everyday role in St. Louis at either second base or shortstop in recent weeks. Wetherholt returned to the Cardinals on Wednesday, which could impact Saggese's playing time outlook. Still, Saggese's ability to play both the outfield and third base should allow him to stay in his team's lineup on a near-everyday basis. With his balanced profile and multi-positional eligibility, Saggese profiles as a useful deep-league waiver wire addition.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
JJ Wetherholt Activated And Starting on Wednesday
The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Wednesday that they activated rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (wrist) from the 10-day injured list. Wetherholt is right back in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting San Francisco Giants and right-hander Anthony Molina, starting at second base and batting leadoff in his return. He will return for the first time since late August while dealing with tendinitis in his right wrist. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder can still help fantasy managers battling for a championship in the final week and a half of the regular season. The former seventh overall selection from West Virginia in 2024 will return to a .242/.343/.370 slash line with a .713 OPS, 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 88 runs scored across his 505 at-bats. Wetherholt struggled in August before he was shut down, going 19-for-95 (.200) with a homer, four doubles, seven RBI, 19 runs scored, two steals, 15 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games played. Hopefully, he will have better results on offense to close out the year with his wrist issues behind him.
Source: St. Louis Cardinals
Source: St. Louis Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt to Go Through Full Workout on Tuesday
St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (wrist) is scheduled to go through a full pre-game workout on Tuesday after he hits off a pitching machine on Monday, according to Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wetherholt is working his way back from tendinitis in his right wrist that had been bothering him for some time. The 24-year-old is making good progress, but if he returns for the Cardinals this year, it might only be for the final homestand of the 2026 campaign, so fantasy managers should not bank on any production from him during the postseason. All in all, it was a successful first year in the big leagues for Wetherholt, as he has hit .242/.343/.370 with a .713 OPS, 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 88 runs scored across 130 games and 586 plate appearances. Wetherholt has clear 20-20 potential going into his sophomore season in 2027 as the Cardinals' regular option at second base.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Daniel Guerrero
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Daniel Guerrero
JJ Wetherholt Could Return This Weekend
St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (wrist) swung the bat on Monday before the team's game against the San Francisco Giants and is hoping to be activated from the 10-day injured list during the team's upcoming homestand that runs from Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 20, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It appears that the anti-inflammatory injection that Wetherholt received recently helped with his right-wrist tendinitis. With St. Louis' homestand kicking off this weekend, it does not look like the Cardinals will require Wetherholt to go on a short minor-league rehab assignment. The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick from West Virginia University has had a strong rookie campaign in 2026 and has been the Cardinals' primary second baseman all year. He will return to a .242/.343/.370 slash line with a .713 OPS, 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in his 505 at-bats. It has been a struggle for Wetherholt in the second half, possibly because of the wrist issue he was playing through, as he has hit only .201 (31-for-154) with four homers, four doubles, 12 RBI, 30 runs, five stolen bases, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 40 games since the All-Star break.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
JJ Wetherholt Receives Cortisone Injection in his Wrist
St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (wrist) received a cortisone injection on Tuesday for his right-wrist tendinitis, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. After some rest, Wetherholt will attempt to resume baseball activities as he tries to make it back for the conclusion of what has been a very strong first year in the big leagues in 2026. Right now, it is unclear if he has a realistic chance of being ready to return to the major-league roster when he is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Sept. 9. In his first full season with the Cardinals, the former seventh overall pick from West Virginia in 2024 has hit .242/.343/.370 with a .713 OPS, 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 88 runs scored across 130 games and 586 plate appearances. The left-handed-hitting infielder has struggled in the second half, though, perhaps while battling his wrist injury, and has slashed just .201/.313/.305 with a .618 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, four doubles, 30 runs scored, five steals, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 40 games played. Despite being on the IL and struggling in the second half, Wetherholt is rostered in 89% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
JJ Wetherholt to Meet With a Specialist This Week
St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (wrist), who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with right-wrist discomfort, will meet with a specialist to have his wrist examined in Arizona early this week, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 23-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder has been bothered by wrist issues for the last month, which helps explain why he hit .200 (19-for-95) with a .595 OPS, one homer, four doubles, seven RBI, 19 runs scored, two stolen bases, 15 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games in August. Since the All-Star break, Wetherholt has hit just .201 (31-for-154) with a .618 OPS, four home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI, 30 runs scored, five steals, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 40 games. The former first-rounder from West Virginia University hit .259/.356/.399 with a .755 OPS, 13 homers, 36 RBI, 58 runs, and nine stolen bases in 90 games in the first half of his first MLB season. Fantasy managers now have to be concerned that Wetherholt might not make it back for the final month of the regular season in September.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Cardinals Place JJ Wetherholt on Injured List With Wrist Tendinitis
The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Sunday that they placed rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (wrist) on the 10-day injured list with right-wrist tendinitis and recalled infielder Cesar Prieto from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. It is the first time that Wetherholt will head to the IL while battling wrist issues of late. In his first year in the big leagues in 2026 with the Cards, Wetherholt has slashed .242/.343/.370 with a .713 OPS, 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 88 runs scored across 130 games and 586 plate appearances. His wrist might have been bothering him for a while, though, as he has hit just .200 (19-for-95) with a .595 OPS, one homer, four doubles, seven RBI, 19 runs scored, two stolen bases, 15 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games in August. Wetherholt has also hit just over the Mendoza Line (.201) with just four homers, four doubles, 12 RBI, five steals, 30 runs scored, 23 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 40 games in the second half. Perhaps a little break is what is needed so that he can finish his first MLB season strong in September. It is unclear if Wetherholt will be ready to return when his 10 days on the IL are up. He is currently rostered in over 90% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: St. Louis Cardinals
Source: St. Louis Cardinals
JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals Agree on Long-Term Contract Extension
Rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to an undisclosed long-term contract extension on Friday that will buy out multiple years of free agency, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 23-year-old has been tremendous in his first big-league season and becomes the latest rookie to land a nine-figure contract. The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia University has locked down St. Louis' second base job from the get-go in 2026, and he's hitting .267/.362/.411 with a .773 OPS, 13 home runs, 36 RBI, 57 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in his first 87 games and 395 plate appearances in the majors heading into the final weekend of the first half of the season. Wetherholt currently ranks 12th in the big leagues with a 3.6 WAR this year. He's been hot going into next week's All-Star break as well, going 11-for-35 (.314) with a homer, two doubles, two RBI, and eight runs scored in nine games so far in July.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Cardinals Send Nolan Gorman to Triple-A
The St. Louis Cardinals optioned infielder Nolan Gorman to Triple-A Memphis on Friday, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals are changing things up in the infield. Gorman could probably use a reset offensively after slashing just .194/.279/.318 with a .598 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, and 19 runs scored through 62 games and 229 plate appearances so far in 2026 in his fifth year in the big leagues. In addition to hardly producing at all for the Red Birds, Gorman is striking out at a 32.3% clip and has just three hits in his last 50 at-bats with 27 strikeouts and five walks over a span of 17 games. Gorman will head down to the farm to work on his approach at the plate, but it might already be too late for him to reclaim a starting role in St. Louis for the rest of the season. In Yahoo leagues, Gorman is rostered in just 3% of formats.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
JJ Wetherholt Returns From Groin Injury on Sunday
St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (groin) is starting at second base and is batting leadoff for the Red Birds in Sunday's series finale at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Rhett Loweder, according to MLB.com. Wetherholt is back on the diamond after missing the last three games due to a groin injury. The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick from West Virginia University is the Cardinals' starting second baseman in his first year in the major leagues, and he has held his own through 225 at-bats to this point with a .249/.357/.400 slash line, .757 OPS, nine home runs, 25 RBI, seven stolen bases, and 40 runs scored in 58 games and 266 plate appearances. Wetherholt has been even better in his last 13 ballgames, going 16-for-53 (.302) at the plate with a homer, two doubles, three RBI, two stolen bases, and seven runs scored for St. Louis. Get the young infielder back into your starting lineups in traditional leagues against a young pitcher coming off a three-week stay on the injured list.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
JJ Wetherholt Remains Sidelined With Groin Injury
St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt (groin) continues to sit out Saturday's game at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com. Bryan Torres will make another start at the keystone for the Cards and will bat seventh against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo. Wetherholt is missing a second straight game due to groin soreness. The injury isn't considered serious, so Wetherholt could be back in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale. The 23-year-old former seventh overall pick out of West Virginia University in 2024 has been a full-time starter for St. Louis at the keystone in his first year in the big leagues, and he hasn't disappointed. Wetherholt is currently slashing .249/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS, nine home runs, 25 RBI, 40 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his first 225 MLB at-bats. The young infielder has been even better in his last 13 games since May 19, too, batting .302 (16-for-53) with a homer, two doubles, three RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases, so fantasy managers are hoping he can return this weekend.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
JJ Wetherholt Still Out With Lower-Body Soreness
St. Louis Cardinals rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt (lower body) is still dealing with some lower-body soreness and remains out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com. Bryan Torres is starting at the keystone for St. Louis and will hit fifth in the batting order against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. Wetherholt was held out of the lineup on Wednesday and will start on the bench again on Friday despite the team having a scheduled day off on Thursday. He's considered day-to-day for now. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Saturday to see if he's back in the lineup for Game 2 of the series. Wetherholt, a former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia University, has held his own in his first year in the big leagues as a full-time player, hitting .249/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS, nine homers, 25 RBI, seven steals, and 40 runs scored in 58 games and 266 plate appearances. In 10 games since May 23, Wetherholt is hitting .293 (12-for-41) with two doubles, an RBI, five runs, and a stolen base.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
JJ Wetherholt Dealing With Lower-Half Soreness
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt has been dealing with some lower-half soreness, but he is expected to return to the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals held Wetherholt out of the lineup in their win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, and he'll have another day of rest during the team's scheduled off day on Thursday. The Cardinals expect Wetherholt to be ready to roll for the weekend after two days of rest. In his first year in the big leagues, the 23-year-old former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia University has hit .249/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS, nine home runs, 25 RBI, seven stolen bases, and 40 runs scored across his 225 at-bats. Wetherholt hasn't homered since May 19, but he's hit .286 (14-for-49) with two doubles, an RBI, five runs scored, and two steals in his last 12 games since May 20. Expect him to be back atop the Cardinals' batting order on Friday.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
