One of the biggest disappointments in baseball so far in 2023 has been the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cards are currently 8.5 games off of first place, despite being widely predicted to easily win their 14th NL Central championship.
Things didn’t get any better on Friday as they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
However, the unfortunate sequence of events started a little before the first pitch when Tyler O Neill was omitted because of a back problem.
On Friday, home runs were hit by Memphis’ Triple-A players Juan Yepez and Jordan Walker.
Ben Frederickson, a writer for the Cardinals, noted this upsetting fact on Twitter.
There is something oh so #STLCards 2023 about just-demoted Jordan Walker homering in Memphis the same night Tyler O’Neill is scratched with back tightness. Gotta keep the outfielders comfortable, though. Robes, slippers and perfectly packaged playing time for all. https://t.co/QJzmgdZPFp
Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) April 29, 2023
Walker was just promoted to Triple-A despite having a season-opening.274 average.
He also had a 12-game hitting streak at the start of his career.
However, it also makes reference to the fact that a number of players the Cardinals have traded have gone on to have successful careers.
Players like Adolis Garcia, Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, and Randy Arozarena spring to mind.
Walker seems to be heating up after being sent down, despite the fact that this is a slightly different circumstance.
The addition of Walker to the lineup may provide the Cardinals offense with the spark they need.
While the Cards continued to blow excellent chances with runners in scoring position, he was demoted and hit a home run in Triple-A on the same night that O Neill was pulled from the lineup.
The team’s current record is a dismal 10-17.