The Cardinals got good news on Jordan Walker this afternoon. An MRI revealed no structural damage in his left knee, manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including John Denton of MLB.com). Walker is dealing with inflammation that’ll shut him down for around a week, but there’s nothing to suggest this’ll be a serious issue. It would have been a freak injury, as the young outfielder felt the discomfort after stepping on a sprinkler head while tracking a fly ball during Tuesday’s game.
With three weeks until Opening Day, it seems the 22-year-old will be on track for the start of the regular season. He’s in line to work as the everyday right fielder. The former top prospect has yet to develop into the impact hitter that many evaluators believe he could become. Walker has turned in a .255/.317/.423 slash in 643 career plate appearances. That includes a .210/.253/.366 line over 51 MLB games last season. He had pedestrian numbers (.263/.326/.427 over 377 PAs) in Triple-A as well. Walker is young enough that this isn’t yet a make-or-break season, but the Cards’ transitional year should give him an extended opportunity to cement himself.
A couple other health updates from around baseball:
- Christian Walker felt soreness in his left oblique during batting practice before the Astros game on Wednesday, manager Joe Espada told the beat (relayed by MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). He’s day to day for the moment, but the team will know more tomorrow after further testing. Any kind of strain would make a season-opening injured list stint likely. Walker was Houston’s big free agent pickup, inking a three-year deal that guarantees $60MM. He’s coming off his third consecutive Gold Glove win and hit .251/.335/.468 with 26 homers over 552 plate appearances during his final season in Arizona. If Walker misses time, Jon Singleton would get the bulk of the first base reps. Righty-hitting Zach Dezenzo could take some at-bats against lefty pitching in that situation.
- Twins reliever Justin Topa has had unfortunate injury luck for most of his career. He has undergone two Tommy John procedures and a flexor tendon surgery. A patellar tendon issue in his left knee limited him to three MLB appearances last season. Topa is now dealing with shoulder discomfort, writes Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Minnesota lifted the righty from Wednesday’s game after seven pitches when Topa reported shoulder tightness. Manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters that the pitcher wasn’t overly concerned, so it’ll hopefully be a precautionary removal, but he’ll go for further testing tomorrow.
If Walker can’t walk, does that make him a Wheeler?
Either that or a Crutcher
Yes.
Why are there sprinkler heads in the outfield? These are major league players using these facilities it’s embarrassing.
We talking Jordan or Christian? Legend has it they evolve into different things
Astros fan here to say the curse of Yuli Gurriel and The Bad Karma strike again! We are destined to never have a good 1Bman ever again until management rights the wrongs they did by turning their back on a GG 1Bman, Cuban hero, and league leader in picked balls aka preventing errors from happening aka DRS “sorta”.
They dissed him 1 season out of being the first 1Bman ever to win a GG and a batting title in the same season as well as a WS and not even offer him a contract at all; likewise you could say the same thing about James Click so you could also call this the Bad Karma of Dissing James Click as well.
Either title you prefer, they both sound like either Harry Potter or Hardy Boys book titles…
PS They also have been dissing Jon Singleton pretty hardcore as well. He had good numbers last year 2nd half, when they decided to play him as their primary 1Bman.
So you could add his name to the whole Revenge/Bad Karma of Jon Singleton theory…
Not sure even Singleton can believe he’s in the major leagues still.
The Walker Brothers are out?
The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore!