Cardinals Rising Star Showing Signs Of Improvement; Could Return Be Soon?

St. Louis is hopeful the young slugger will keep it up

Sep 30, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrates with his teammate St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) for his homerun against the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zach Dalin-USA TODAY Sports / Zach Dalin-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals season has not gone as well as hoped after a plethora of unexpected injuries and a struggling lineup have led to the club falling short of expectations.

The lackluster offense has been the biggest hindrance to the Cardinals' success. Key sluggers such as Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado have not looked like themselves at the plate.

One important piece to the Cardinals' lineup was demoted earlier in the season and has been fighting his way back to the big leagues. Fortunately, he's beginning to show signs of improvement -- signaling a possible return to St. Louis soon.

Triple-A Memphis outfielder Jordan Walker began 2024 with high expectations of being a key element to the Cardinals outfield but after recording only one hit in just 10 at-bats, he was demoted. After some much-needed time in the minors, he's finally beginning to find his swing.

Walker has batted .294 with four extra-base hits including two home runs, four RBIs and a .892 OPS in eight games played for Triple-A Memphis in June.

That is a small sample size and it's worth noting that Walker's first two months in the minors did not go well. He recorded zero home runs and a .655 OPS in 26 games played.

The 22-year-old was demoted at the beginning of 2023 similarly and his stats before being called back to St. Louis last year are similar to his performance this June.

Prior to being recalled to the Cardinals in May 2023, Walker batted .247 with nine extra-base hits including three home runs, 15 RBIs and a .761 OPS in 25 games played.

If Walker can continue to trend in a positive trajectory, it might not be long before he gets to hit at Busch Stadium again.

The Cardinals are in need of more right-handed hitters in their lineup and it would be perfect if Walker could return to help fill some of that void. He likely still has more to prove but it's great to see that he's finally showing signs of improvement.

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