Cardinals manager Mike Matheny: Oscar Taveras 'has a lot to learn'

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said outfielder Oscar Taveras "has a lot to learn" if he wants to continue to develop as a player.. Taveras entered 2014 ranked the No. 2 prospect in baseball by MLB.com and was called up by the team in May.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said outfielder Oscar Taveras "has a lot to learn" if he wants to continue to develop as a player, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Taveras entered 2014 ranked the No. 2 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, making his long-awaited major league debut on May 31 and hitting a home run in his second at-bat. 

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Taveras was optioned back to Triple-A on June 13 after hitting .189 through 11 games. He was recalled at the end of the month and is hitting .206 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 45 major league games. 

"He’s got a lot of things he needs to improve on in every aspect of his game," said Matheny.

One of the things Matheny is unhappy with is the 22-year-old's hustle at times. During Wednesday's game, Taveras failed to score from first on a two-out double. 

"The aggressiveness wasn't there," Matheny said.

Taveras and the Cardinals are in second place in the NL Central, two games behind the Brewers. They currently hold the first Wild Card spot. 

- Molly Geary