Cardinals Reportedly Make Three Intriguing Additions As Club Looks To Get Back On Track

St. Louis made a few interesting additions as the club looks to get back on track

The St. Louis Cardinals need to turn things around quickly if the club wants to compete for a postseason spot this season.

St. Louis certainly was busy Wednesday morning and made a bevy of moves. The Cardinals reportedly placed longtime hurler Adam Wainwright and catcher Andrew Knizner on the injured list and optioned hurler James Naile to the minor leagues. In response, St. Louis called up pitchers Zack Thompson and Dakota Hudson along with catcher Iván Herrera, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo.  

With Knizner on the injured list, Herrera likely pencils in as the club's backup catcher for the time being. The 23-year-old has yet to appear in a big league game this season but has shined with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds slashing .308/.432/.557 to go along with eight home runs and 44 RBIs across 50 games. Herrera currently is St. Louis' No. 6 prospect so seeing him have an extended opportunity with the big league club will be intriguing, especially with all of the drama surrounding fellow catcher Willson Contreras this season. 

Hudson is a six-year big league veteran who at times has been very solid. His best year came in 2019 where he compiled a 16-7 record and 3.35 ERA across 33 starts but he appeared in just 10 games over the next two seasons. Hudson made 27 appearances -- including 26 starts -- with St. Louis in 2022 and pitched to a 4.45 ERA.

Thompson is just 25 years old and has had his role in the organization shift multiple times. In 2022, Thompson made 22 overall appearances -- including just one start -- and impressed pitching to a 2.08 ERA while striking out 27 batters. The lefty has split time between Memphis and St. Louis and in the minor leagues has been mainly featured as a starter and at the big league level has been a reliever. He hasn't been as sharp overall this season, but if he can return to his 2022 form, could be a solid depth piece for the Cardinals. 

At this point, the Cardinals could use all of the help it can get. Hopefully adding these three into the mix could inject a little life into the club as it looks to gain some ground in the standings and get back on track.  

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