The Cardinals are optioning center fielder Victor Scott II to Triple-A Memphis today, as first reported by KMOV’s Tamar Sher. Fellow outfielder Nathan Church will return from the 10-day IL today and take Scott’s roster spot, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Church will presumably see the bulk of action in center field.
It’s the first time that Scott, 25, has been optioned since the 2024 season. He spent all of 2025 in the majors and has been a regular player in 2026 despite nonexistent offensive output. He’s hitting .194/.276/.258 (57 wRC+) through 184 turns at the plate thus far. Scott only has six extra-base hits (two homers, four doubles).
Scott has swiped nine bases but been caught four times; that’s already as many times as he was caught stealing in all of ’25, when he swiped a total of 34 bags. His sprint 29.7 ft/sec sprint speed is still elite, sitting in the 98th percentile of big leaguers, but it’s down half a foot from last year’s 30.2 ft/sec, which tied him for tops in the game. Scott’s 8.7% walk rate is almost average, and his 23.9% strikeout rate isn’t egregious, but he has the sixth-worst hard-hit rate among the 235 players to tally at least 150 plate appearances this season.
Defensively, Scott still grades out quite well, though not to the same extent as in 2025. Last year, he was credited with 12 Defensive Runs Saved and 16 Outs Above Average in 1087 innings. This year, through 471 innings in center, OAA has credited Scott as a positive but not elite defender (3), while DRS has dinged him at -2.
If Scott stays in the minors for at least 20 days, this will burn the second of his three minor league option years. It’s unlikely to impact his potential free-agent and arbitration timelines, as he’s already less than three weeks from reaching two years of MLB service time. If Scott spends the rest of the season in Triple-A, he wouldn’t reach two years of service, thus giving St. Louis an extra season of club control, but it feels likely that he’ll be back at some point, whether because he hits his way onto the roster or because the Cardinals incur an injury in the big league outfield mix.
Church, also 25, has struggled at the plate in his own right, but not to the same extent. He’s taken 156 plate appearances and turned in a .247/.282/.390 slash (88 wRC+) with five homers, six doubles, a 3.8% walk rate and a 21.2% strikeout rate. He’s also making hard contact at lower-than-average levels, but not quite at the same bottom-of-the-scale levels as Scott. Church also has the more productive Triple-A track record; he slashed .335/.400/.521 in 242 plate appearances there last year. Scott’s only Triple-A work came back in 2024, when he hit .210/.294/.303 (58 wRC+) in 362 trips to the plate.
The rest of the Cardinals’ outfield mix seems largely set. Lars Nootbaar is back after missing the first couple months of the season and should see regular action in left, plus occasional time in center. Jordan Walker, in the midst of a full-fledged breakout, is entrenched in right field. (Nootbaar could play right field if the Cards give Walker a day off or a DH breather.) Nelson Velazquez, Jose Fermin and Bryan Torres can all mix in occasionally. Fermin and Torres have minimal opportunities in an infield with Alec Burleson, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn and Nolan Gorman getting regular work (though Gorman isn’t hitting enough to justify regular at-bats for the remainder of the season).
Makes sense
Next up Gorman..
Next stop pies!
Probably the right move. Church’s toolset is similar to Scott, but with more upside at the plate imo. Problem with Gorman is there isn’t anyone to replace him until blaze jordan is ready.
Didn’t Walker come up playing 3rd base? Idk just a thought..
Blaze Jordan I believe has shown more than enough that he is ready! He has a 12.1% k rate. Way below the mlb league avg of 21-23.
Walks at 7% rate. A right handed bat that can platoon Walker and Burleson if needed! Yes bring that guy up!
Agree with Opie. Blaze is showing the results, so it’s time to get a strong look up with the big club.
Gorman continues to regress and still has minor league options to go down and try figure it out, so let’s do it now, pleeeeease.
He can’t do no worse than Gorman. It’s worth a try.
He very well could do worse than Gorman, as Gorman at least still has an OPS north of .600.
That being said, Jordan does seem to be MLB ready from the way he’s hitting in AAA.
Then again, this is supposed to be an evaluation year in the first place, most notably with Walker and Gorman. Walker has passed with flying colors, but the Cardinals still want to give Gorman as much of a run as they reasonably can before they give up on him.
Scott and Church are basically the same player. Both are low average speedsters that can bunt and play defense well. The one you go with is basically the one that is hot. I wonder if they’ll get rid of one or just keep the rotation going.
Oh God, thank you. It was literally killing me to see him take ABs.
Do you guys know what literally means?
Do you know what hyperbole is?
Gah, I lost so much money on last year’s Hyperbole. Will literally never bet on Cleveland to cover ever again.
Do you know that the word “literally” by definition can’t be used with hyperbole.
Yes, thank you.
Scott needs to play everyday at Memphis. Working on his bat to ball skills, including bunting — possibly bunting often.
Also, once on base, work on being aggressive and honing his base steeling skills. Previously stole a lot of bases in minor leagues.
I do not know what to do about Gorman. Hate to see him striking out repeatedly. Do not want to mess with having Jordan Walker change positions again to play 3rd base. Right now, do not think Blaze in Memphis, is ready to play 3 base for the Cardinals.
Can not wait for Josiah (sp?) Baez (sp?) being ready to be brought up from Memphis.
The problem with Gorman is his swing. He tries to pull everything and his hip flies open immediately. They’ve tried to change his swing every year but at some point they have to realize that maybe these new swings aren’t helping and that the players might not be comfortable with it. For example, Brant Brown was having Jordan Walker use a swing he wasn’t comfortable with last year. Over the offseason, they worked together and found a swing that Jordan was comfortable with and that Brant liked, and now look what he’s doing. The Cards’ hitting coaches need to stop changing swings constantly. They changed Chase Davis’ swing, Dylan Carlson’s, and Gorman is yet another example of it not working out.
I hate to see Victor struggling so much, but this is the right move.
If Gorman was sent down, Fermin could handle 3rd. He’s not going to set the world on fire, but he gives professional at bats and makes consistent contact. That’s more than we’re getting from Gorman.
I wonder how long before Dobbins takes Leahy’s spot in the rotation. Dobbins has looked really good and Leahy would be a great addition to the bullpen.
Cards are going with a six-man rotation. Only 2 days off in the next 34 or so.