2:14 p.m.: The Cardinals officially announced Scott’s withdrawal and Siani’s 10-day IL placement due to an oblique strain. The timing of Siani’s return has yet to be determined, although Woo suggested that it sounds like his injury is “significant.”
1:13 p.m.: The Cardinals are missing a center fielder Victor Scott II before tonight’s series finale against the Cubs, according to a report from The Athletic’s Katie Woo this morning. Woo suggests that Scott will replace the center fielder Michael Siani on the active roster as he heads to the 10-day injured list due to a minor issue that occurred in yesterday’s game.
It was unfortunate what happened to Siani, 25, as he was still in the process of proving that he can be selected by the team for a long time when he left yesterday’s game due to tightness in his right side and was sent for an MRI test as noted. by John Denton of MLB.com yesterday. The results of that MRI are still unclear, though the midfielder will apparently need at least 10 days on the shelf to recover. Yesterday’s short game ended Siani’s impressive streak dating back to June 24. In his 31 games past yesterday’s game, the center fielder slashed .354/.391/.415, though that number is poor. success came with an eye-popping .492 BABIP that was clearly unsustainable.
Still, Siani’s growth as a hitter has been impressive considering he entered the month of May with a .128/.244/.179 slash line. His improved play since then has pushed his wRC+ to 79, which is still below average but enough to make him a regular defensive center fielder with a solid 14-for-17 basepath record. Siani’s +15 Outs Above Average ranks second among all outfielders Jacob Young and fourth among all MLB players this year, while his +10 Defensive Runs Saved ties him for defensive tackles. Pete Crow-Armstrong again Michael A. Taylor sixth among all foreign players.
Siani’s replacement on the Cardinals’ active roster is Scott, a fellow left-handed hitting center fielder. Scott made his major league debut earlier this year as the team’s surprise pick at Opening Day shortstop but struggled in the role with a .085/.138/.136 slash line (-22 wRC+) in 21 games before eventually being optioned back down to the Triple-A. Scott’s struggles continued in the minors as he hit just .219/.302/.319 in 74 games in the minors this year despite an impressive 14.3% strikeout rate.
It is not yet clear whether Scott will take over from Siani as a regular in midfield or instead be used as a defensive player off the bench. After all, the club can use anywhere Lars Nootbaar or Tommy Pham in center field and both players would be a significant offensive improvement over Scott instead. Such a process may go away Brendan Donovan from second base to the outer corner to unlock the keystone Nolan Gorman, who has struggled to a .199/.272/.408 slash line (91 wRC+) in 99 games with the team this year. It’s also possible that Scott’s call-up to the big players may indicate that Siani’s injury won’t require a major absence, as Derrick Goldold of St. try and work the right-handed bat as Luke Baker or even the high hopes of the former Jordan Walker on the bench, especially those who use the left.
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