When rosters expanded to 28 players at the start of September, the Cardinals brought back outfielder Victor Scott II. The young speedster began the season as the team's starting center fielder. However, he never quite got his bat going and was ultimately demoted to Triple-A Memphis .
Since returning, Scott has mainly been used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. He has not yet been placed in the starting lineup or received any at-bats. Ultimately, it begs the question of why he is even on the roster to begin with right now.
Josh Jacobs of MLB.com believes the Cardinals are simply wasting a roster spot here.
"Why is he even on the team right now?" Jacobs said. "If they're not going to start him, ever, if he's just going to be a defensive replacement and pinch runner, what it tells me, is I don't even know if he's on the team next year and I mean the 40-man roster. If they don't trust him to play in games at all right now over Nathan Church who has not be awesome at all lately, then what are we doing? I think they're telling you they don't think he's going to be here."
Jun 7, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) celebrates with third baseman Bryan Torres (39) after the Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Scott has been the team's starting center fielder since the beginning of the 2025 season. While his speed and defense are indisputable, his bat has never quite come along. This year, he is hitting just .297/.278/.261 with two home runs, nine RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .540 OPS. Perhaps the time has come to look for another opportunity for Scott elsewhere.
While Church isn't a star by any means, he still hits more consistently than Scott and possesses elite speed and is a great defender. If the Cardinals are choosing between those two in center field, Church is the clear choice.
This means Scott's days in St. Louis are likely numbered . There isn't much left he can do in St. Louis to prove to the Cardinals that he is the best option to start at center field. Now, Church is the clear choice and will likely be the team's starting center fielder entering the 2027 season barring an offseason move or two.
But it does seem like Scott's time in St. Louis could be coming to an end very soon. The Cardinals simply have much better options at their disposal.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as Victor Scott II Has No Place on Current Cardinals' Roster .
