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Cardinals' Record-Setting Rookie Slugger Done for Season with Oblique Injury
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- Cardinals' Record-Setting Rookie Slugger Done for Season with Oblique Injury
Roundtable Sports' John Denton discusses the season-ending oblique strain suffered by rookie outfielder Joshua Baez.
Joshua Báez's MLB rookie season, one that started inhistoric fashion with homers in his first three at bats, ended with a whimper onFriday when the St. Louis Cardinals put him on the Injured List with a leftoblique strain.
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Báez, 23, suffered the injury during his second at bat ofthe Cardinals ' 6-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants in 10 innings on Wednesday.Báez stayed in the game, but he was unable to take an at bat in the ninthinning because of the pain he was feeling, and he feared for the worst.
"Last game, second at bat, I just took a swing and felt asmall bit (in his ribcage)," Báez said on Friday before the Cardinals faced theNationals in the final home series of the 2026 season. "I tried to continue duringthe game, but the pain wouldn't go down. It was painful to swing and be outthere, so I just took myself out."
Cesar Prieto was recalled from Triple-A Memphis to replaceBaez on the active roster.
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Báez, who opened his MLB career by homering in his firstthree at bats against the rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15, wastaken for a magnetic resonance imaging test after Wednesday's game and it revealedthe oblique damage in his left side. Having to miss the rest of his firstseason was frustrating, but he said he is still happy that he got to experiencethe big leagues this year.
"You always want to finish with the boys and finish strong,but things happen and it was out of my hands," said Báez, who was unsure if hewould be traveling with the Cardinals to Pittsburgh and Milwaukee to close theseason. "I'm just trying to rest, take it day by day and not push it now.
"I feel like I got my feet wet, played almost 30 games. So,it was good getting a good chunk of games. I just have to prepare for next yearand be ready for 162."
Báez, who hit 34 homers at Triple-A Memphis prior to beingpromoted on Aug. 15, sent a jolt through the baseball world by smacking homeruns in the first three at bats of his career at Wrigley Field. He hit thefirst pitch he ever saw in the big leagues for a long homer to center field,battled back from a 0-2 count and drilled a line-drive homer into the bleachersin left and went the other way for an opposite-field long ball to do somethingno player in MLB history has ever accomplished.
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"(The memory of that day) pops in and out, but I'm not thetype to worry about what has happened, good or bad," Báez said. "I'm justworried about today and the next game. After the season, I'll think about (thethree-homer day) and enjoy the moment.
"People bring that day up and how special it was to see andhow impressive it was. There are so many people who have told me that they werejust happy to be there that day to see it."
Cardinals' Double-A Affiliate Playing for Texas League Title for Second Straight Season
Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol was equally bummed about theseason-ending injury to Báez, but he thinks the young slugger will benefitgreatly from getting the experience of playing in the big leagues in 2026.
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"It's unfortunate because you wanted him to finish the seasonand continue getting a taste of what this is all about, but now he will enterthe offseason knowing exactly what to expect, how to handle it and what he'sworking toward," Marmol said. "He got enough of a taste that it was meaningfuland I'm glad we (promoted him to the big leagues) when we did
Báez, a second-round pick in 2021, struggled badly in hisfirst three professional seasons before making huge strides in 2025 whilethriving with High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield. Earlier this season atTriple-A, Baez posted a .901 OPS in 103 games while smacking 22 doubles andwalking 37 times to go along with his 34 homers and 90 RBI.
In 29 games with the Cardinals, Báez hit .230 (23 for100) with seven doubles, seven homers and 18 RBI. While the Cardinals have someconcerns about his 33 strikeouts in 108 plate appearances, it is the four walksthat is more alarming. His lack of patience at the plate has led to his .278on-base percentage and his OPS dropping to .788.
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"He's confident in what he knows, but he likes havingconversations about what he doesn't (know)," Marmol raved. "You can have a realconversation with him and he loves talking baseball. He loves to compete, hedoesn't scare and he's going to be really good."
Báez feels he proved that he can not only survive in thebig leagues, but he can thrive and show more often the kind ofdifference-making power he flashed at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15.
"I proved that I'm capable and all the work I put in cantranslate here," Báez said. "I've just got to be more consistent and continueto mature."
