Injury updates for the Cardinals: The status of Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, and Tink are under review.
St. Louis Cardinals' Key Players: Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, and Tink Hence's Injury Updates
Are you worried about the well-being of some crucial St. Louis Cardinals players? Well, let's dive into the recent setbacks faced by Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, and Tink Hence and their recovery progress.
Brendan Donovan's Niggling Toe Issue
In a nail-biting series against the Toronto Blue Jays, utility man Brendan Donovan was removed during the ninth inning, causing some concern among the St. Louis faithful. The initial report claimed that Donovan was suffering from discomfort in his toe, leading to his hasty exit.
However, Wednesday morning brought some more worrying news. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Donovan underwent an MRI on his left toe. As of now, the results and updates on the injury remain under wraps, with further information set to be revealed after the club's series finale against the Blue Jays.
Donovan has been the Cardinals' standout player across all aspects of the game. His outstanding .310/.379/.440 slash line and 133 wRC+ lead the team, showing his unparalleled contributions to the team's offense. His sturdy defensive versatility, providing manager Oliver Marmol with much-needed lineup flexibility, has been admirable.
Playing second base exclusively since May 10th, it is speculated that Donovan's prolonged presence at the position could be due to discomfort in his foot that had been bothering him for a while. If Donovan is unable to perform his duties for a period, prospects Thomas Saggese or Jose Fermin might be called up, with Jose Fermin seems to be the more likely candidate considering he was not in Memphis's starting lineup on June 11th.
Jordan Walker's Rehab Assignment
On May 29th, Jordan Walker was forced to take a break due to left wrist inflammation, a timing that proved quite unfortunate as Walker seemed to be heating up. In his 13 games prior to the injury, Walker put together a troublesome .333/.351/.528 slash line, with four extra base hits, including one home run, one triple, and two doubles, despite a slightly high strikeout rate.
Walker is set to start a rehab assignment on Thursday, with locations for his rehab games unconfirmed. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat has hypothesized that Walker might travel with Triple-A Memphis to Gwinnett, a homespun location for Walker, hailing from Stone Mountain, Georgia. Walker is expected to need one series to regain his form and should rejoin the Cardinals next week with their trip to face the White Sox.
Tink Hence's Promising Rehab Start
Tink Hence, one of the Cardinals' top pitching prospects, began the season on the 60-day injured list due to a strained right rib cage. Hence has since made a full recovery, taking part in rehab starts for the Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals. Throughout these rehab outings, Hence has been phenomenal, throwing seven scoreless frames and striking out nine batters without conceding an earned run.
The Cardinals will carefully monitor Hence's innings, as they have always been cautious about letting him pitch for extended periods, especially after previously dealing with multiple injuries. Hence's recent chain of injuries has resulted in his removal from some top-100 prospect lists, but with his undeniable talent, the organization will be eager to see him back in action and returning to full health.
Sources:
- Donovan has capsule sprain in toe
- Saggese, Fermin likely to fill in for Donovan
- Walker set to start rehab assignment
- Jones on Walker rehab
- Hence strong in first rehab start
Brendan Donovan, a crucial player for the St. Louis Cardinals, is currently recovering from an injury to his left toe. In addition to Donovan, another player to watch is Jordan Walker, who is expected to resume his rehab assignment due to left wrist inflammation. Meanwhile, one of their top pitching prospects, Tink Hence, is showing promising progress after a strained right rib cage sidelined him initially. Despite the setbacks, all three players are making strides towards returning to the Major League Baseball (MLB) field.
