The St. Louis Cardinals are set for the second series of their final homestand of 2026. After taking two out of three from the Chicago White Sox and playing the role of spoiler, they'll have a chance at redemption against the San Francisco Giants , who swept them at Oracle Park last week.
With JJ Wetherholt currently on the injured list with a wrist issue, the Cardinals have been forced to get creative with their infield. Thomas Saggese has been playing second base lately, and he has been on a hot streak at the plate. He is now hitting .260 with four home runs, 12 RBI and a .731 OPS.
The Cardinals are certainly a better team with Wetherholt in the lineup. However, Saggese has proven he is no slouch, and for the series opener against the Giants, St. Louis has moved him to the leadoff spot.
Saggese had been in the minor leagues since June after getting off to a very slow start this season. It wasn't until Wetherholt went on the injured list that a spot opened up for him. Since coming back though, he has been on fire. He has hit .392/.431/.667 in his last 15 games.
The Cardinals acquired Saggese from the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline in 2023 when they sold off Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton . Saggese was one of the most promising young bats the Rangers had to offer, but it was getting harder for the Cardinals to find a spot for him when Wetherholt came to the big leagues.
Now, he has established himself as one of the team's top utility players, and he has even added the outfield to his repertoire after being used primarily as a utility infielder. If and when Wetherholt returns, the Cardinals will have a decision to make.
Perhaps Saggese sticks at third base with Blaze Jordan also on the injured list, and maybe the Cardinals finally have their third baseman for the future. St. Louis has needed to see progress from Saggese and other right-handed bats, and so far, they have seen a lot from Saggese in a short amount of time.
He's a player that can be used at multiple positions, and if his bat is going, the Cardinals will have no choice but to play him every day and have him in the starting lineup more frequently.
Saggese has completely turned his season around and become an asset for the Cardinals. This is giving them a better look at what their core could look like in 2027 and beyond and who is ultimately going to fill certain roles. The 24-year-old is a valuable asset for a team looking to assess its future and see what its options are for next season.
Giving him more playing time in the short term is a good idea now that they are mostly out of postseason contention and highly unlikely to go on a run to reach the playoffs.
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