The Cardinals announced that they’ve selected outfielder Scott Hurst from their alternate site and optioned fellow outfielder Lane Thomas. To make room for Hurst on their 40-man roster, the Cardinals transferred right-hander Dakota Hudson from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL. Hudson underwent Tommy John surgery last September, so he is unlikely to pitch this season.
The 25-year-old Hurst, a third-round pick of the Cardinals in 2017, will reach the majors for the first time. He excelled at the lower levels in his draft year and in 2018, when FanGraphs wrote, “Hurst, who is fine in CF and above-average in the corners, might hit enough to play everyday but his likely ceiling looks more like a reserve OF.”
Hurst advanced to Double-A for the first time in 2019, the most recent minor league season. He saw his numbers nosedive between that level and High-A, where he combined for a .217/.287/.299 line in 405 plate appearances.
