JUPITER, Fla. – The St. Louis Cardinals have shut down Jordan Walker for at least one week due to inflammation in his left knee, an injury he reportedly suffered Tuesday after stepping on a sprinkler head while tracking a fly ball.
Fortunately for Walker, tests revealed no structural damage, meaning he appears to have avoided a serious injury for now. Manager Oli Marmol says the team will “let it calm down for a week before ramping up his activity.”
“He wants to be in there every day, but knowing this is just some inflammation, he needs to allow it to calm down,” said Marmol on Wednesday to media members.
With Opening Day three weeks away, Walker could still have time to work his way back into game action before the season begins. If all goes well, he may be able to earn regular opportunities in the final stretch of spring training and remain on track to start as the Cardinals’ Opening Day right fielder, as he has the past two seasons.
Regardless of Walker’s status, the Cardinals will soon need to settle on an outfield plan, or possibly embrace a committee approach.
What could the Opening Day outfield look like? Right now, there are six players with MLB outfield experience who have a fighting chance of making the Opening Day roster:
- Alec Burleson
- Brendan Donovan
- Lars Nootbaar
- Victor Scott
- Michael Siani
- Jordan Walker
If the Cardinals construct their outfield based on natural fits, a likely alignment could feature Nootbaar in left field, Scott or Siani in centerfield, and Walker in right field, assuming Walker is healthy.
With this in mind, many of the Cardinals’ outfield candidates also have position versatility, which gives them options when it comes to maximizing offensive production, though perhaps at the sacrifice of defensive continuity in some cases.
Donovan, for example, has MLB experience at all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots, though he has primarily played second base this spring. His opportunities there, however, could be impacted by Nolan Gorman sliding back into second base, with Nolan Arenado’s return solidifying him at third base for the time being.
Meanwhile, Burleson has also been working at first base this spring and could see frequent opportunities rotating between first, corner outfield spots, and designated hitter.
In scenarios where Donovan or Burleson cover a non-outfield role, the Cardinals could shift Nootbaar to left field, give Walker more runway in right field if healthy, and deploy a true centerfielder like Scott or Siani.
Scott is making a strong case for playing time with a scorching .583 batting over over 12 spring at-bats. Siani, meanwhile, has struggled offensively to just a .056 batting average over 18 at-bats. While batting average alone won’t determine their playing time, strong performances at the plate could play a large role in shaping the outfield in the weeks and months ahead.
Matchups could also play a role in outfield decisions. Five of the six primary outfield candidates hit left-handed, but Donovan (.259) and Nootbaar (.274) proved most effective in the traditionally tough left-on-left matchups last year.
Ultimately, the Cardinals may not have a set “everyday” outfield coming out of spring training or even until deeper into the season. Their approach to filling the outfield will likely be influenced by matchups, injuries, player performance, and evolving needs over the course of the year.
“Our rotation [of outfielders] has been pretty steady,” said Marmol. “We’ll just backfill and give guys maybe longer parts of the game. But same guys out there, nothing new.”
With this in mind, let’s brainstorm some possible outfield combinations.
If it’s consistent with the first spring game:
Nootbaar (LF), Siani (CF), Walker (RF)
If it’s prioritizing youth, player development and upside:
Nootbaar (LF), Scott (CF), Walker (RF)
If seeking strength versus left-handed pitchers:
Donovan (LF), Nootbaar (CF), Walker (RF)
If Walker is unavailable for Opening Day:
Some combination of Donovan, Nootbaar and Burleson (LF and RF), along with Scott or Siani in CF.
If building the best defensive outfield:
Donovan or Nootbaar (LF), along with Scott and Siani (CF and RF)