Injuries & Moves: Carlson (ankle) to IL; Mercado selected
LATEST NEWS
May 17: OF Dylan Carlson (left ankle sprain) placed on 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 15; RHP James Naile optioned to Triple-A Memphis; contracts of LHP Matthew Liberatore and OF Óscar Mercado selected; LHP Packy Naughton transferred from 15-day IL to 60-day IL
Carlson, who sprained his left ankle in Boston on Sunday night when a cleat caught the dirt near the batter's box, will be eligible to return on May 25. Adding the 28-year-old Mercado to their 40-man roster gives the Cardinals protection in center field with Tyler O'Neill and Carlson on the IL. Mercado has slashed .278/.361/.421 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs with Memphis this season. The 28-year-old, who's in his second stint with the organization, has twice as many strikeouts (28) as walks (14) and has been successful on 15 of his 18 stolen-base attempts.
Liberatore, who made his MLB debut with the Cardinals last May, was promoted to start Wednesday against the Brewers. The club will proceed with a six-man rotation through a stretch of 19 games in 19 days. Liberatore, who was 2-2 with a 5.97 ERA with the Cardinals last season, is 4-1 with 56 strikeouts across 46 innings at Triple-A this year.
May 16: Tyler O'Neill (low back strain) set to begin an MiLB rehab assignment on Thursday
O’Neill, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 5 because of a low back strain, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment. The Cardinals have yet to decide which Minor League affiliate O’Neill will play for while rehabbing.
O’Neill was scratched from a game in Dodger Stadium on April 28 because of back pain and he went on the IL a week later because of persistent pain. The musclebound slugger, who trained throughout the offseason to try and make his body more resistant to injuries, has slowly progressed from hitting a ball off a tee last week to taking batting practice off a machine in recent days. On Monday, he worked with strength and conditioning coaches on sprinting and throwing drills at Busch Stadium.
O’Neill was hoping to use 2023 as a big bounce back season after struggling with multiple hamstring injuries and a shoulder issue. However, he is slashing just .228/.283/.337 (.620 OPS) with only two home runs, four doubles and six RBIs in 29 games. The team experimented with him in center field early in the season before ultimately moving him back to left field, the position where he won Gold Glove Awards in 2020 and 2021.
INJURY UPDATES
10-day and 15-day IL
OF Dylan Carlson (left ankle sprain)
Likely return: Possibly May 25
Signs of progress in batting practice gave the Cardinals hope Carlson could avoid a stint on the injured list, but he was no better on May 17, when the club decided to shift him to the IL. Carlson got his cleat caught in the dirt at Fenway Park on May 14, and because the move was retroactive to May 15, he'll be eligible to return when the Cardinals visit the Reds on May 25. (Last updated: May 17)
OF Tyler O'Neill (low back strain)
Likely return: May
O’Neill, who has been on the injured list since May 5 with a low back strain, won’t go on the rehab assignment that was originally planned for him because of lingering pain and stiffness in his back.
O'Neill, who has been working on hitting, throwing and running drills with strength and conditioning coaches at Busch Stadium the past week, was originally scheduled to go on a Minor League rehab assignment on Thursday, but those plans have now been scratched. There is no timetable on when O’Neill will be ready for a rehab assignment.
O’Neill, a Gold Glove winner in 2020 and 2021, saw most of his 2022 season marred by hamstring and shoulder injuries and was hoping to use this year as a bounce-back campaign. He was scratched from a game in Dodger Stadium on April 28 because of back pain and went on the IL a week later because of persistent pain. (Last updated: May 17)
RHP Jake Woodford (right shoulder inflammation)
Likely return: Mid-late May
Woodford experienced pain in his throwing shoulder while throwing 31 pitches in relief in the Cardinals' 11-7 loss to the Angels on May 4. Woodford threw 1 2/3 innings of relief and allowed four hits and one unearned run while walking one. (Last updated: May 5)
INF Jose Fermin (quad strain)
Expected return: Several weeks at the earliest
Fermin, who has a spot on the 40-man roster and was acquired this offseason in a trade with the Guardians, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a quad strain. When asked if the injury was deemed significant, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said, “Yeah, I would say so. Running down to first [on March 4], when he came out of the game, he strained his quad. I don't want to put a timetable on it, but when we all hear the word ‘strain,’ we all know what that means.” (Last updated: March 6)
60-day IL
LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain)
Expected return: Expected to return by Mid-June
Naughton, who was forced to leave the April 7 loss to the Brewers in the eighth inning with numbness in his left arm, was shifted from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
Naughton, who did not allow an earned run while striking out five in five innings pitched this season, recently threw a second bullpen session at Busch Stadium. Once the Cardinals deem him ready, Naughton is expected to go out on a Minor League rehab assignment. (Last updated: May 17)
RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder pain)
Expected return: 2024
Rodriguez, a Rule 5 Draft selection from the Yankees who was supposed to contend for a spot in the Cardinals' bullpen, had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder on May 3, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. The 33-year-old Rodriguez isn’t expected to be able to resume throwing for 4-to-6 months following the arthroscopic procedure.
Rodriguez appeared in seven Spring Training games, but he opened the regular season on the injured list because of recurring shoulder pain. He made three appearances with Triple-A Memphis, but pain eventually returned in his shoulder. (Last updated: May 3)