The Cardinals are recalling Nolan Gorman from Triple-A Memphis, reports Jeff Jones of The Belleville News-Democrat. Shortstop Masyn Winn is likely to end up on the 10-day injured list as the corresponding move, Jones adds.
Winn hasn’t played since August 21 as he nurses a left thumb injury. He jammed his thumb on a slide during Tuesday’s game in Cincinnati. Winn played the next day but clearly continued to feel the discomfort and was out of the starting lineup for the next four days. He made a couple late-game defensive appearances but told Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sunday that the injury was causing significant pain when he swings.
Initial x-rays came back negative. Goold reported over the weekend that the shortstop would go for an MRI, which can sometimes reveal smaller fractures that aren’t identified by an x-ray. There hasn’t been any update on the MRI results.
In any case, the Cardinals determined that Winn will need at least a week to recover. They can backdate the IL placement to August 22, so he’ll be eligible to return at the beginning of September. It’s unclear if the Cards anticipate he’ll be ready by then. The injury pauses another fantastic defensive season for Winn, who is fourth among shortstops in Outs Above Average. He’s in the mix for a second consecutive Gold Glove, as he’s behind only Dansby Swanson in OAA among National League shortstops. Winn is tied with Mookie Betts and Geraldo Perdomo for the NL lead in defensive runs saved.
While Winn is one of the sport’s preeminent infield defenders, his numbers at the plate have dipped for a third straight season. He’s hitting .238/.314/.326 with five home runs across 490 plate appearances.
JJ Wetherholt, the Gold Glove favorite at second base, has moved back to shortstop for the past few games. He’ll likely continue playing there for as long as Winn is unavailable. José Fermín and Ramón Urías could split the second base work. Gorman has plenty of second base experience as well but has played exclusively third base this year at the MLB and Triple-A levels.
Gorman comes back up for the first time in two and a half months. St. Louis optioned him in mid-June after he started the season with a .194/.279/.318 slash line through 229 plate appearances. He spent a couple weeks making mechanical adjustments at the team’s complex before reporting to Memphis. There haven’t been any statistical signs that the complex work alleviated any of Gorman’s longstanding whiff issues. He’s striking out at an untenable 36% clip with Memphis, where he’s hitting .182/.328/.400 with 13 home runs.
St. Louis hasn’t gotten much out of rookie third baseman Blaze Jordan either. Their third basemen have a .213/.271/.338 mark on the season. Only the Marlins and Reds have gotten less offensive production from the position. Gorman, who is playing on a $2.655MM arbitration salary, will need a big finish to avoid being non-tendered. Even if he goes on a run in September, his career-long inconsistency means third base should be an offseason priority.
