The St. Louis Cardinals are dealing with a few injuries to two key players as they prepare for the series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Those two players are second baseman Brendan Donovan and outfielder Jordan Walker.
With Donovan likely out for some time, but not on the injured list, the more prominent injury to watch is Walker’s return to the team. According to John Denton on Twitter/X, the Cardinals are starting a rehab assignment for Walker in Triple-A.
Walker was put on the injured list with right wrist inflammation, and now, for the first time since May 31st, Walker is seeing live game action. His injury was never long-term, but Walker getting a rehab start is a good sign for the 23-year-old outfielder.
In his third season in the big leagues, Walker has struggled once again. Through the first 47 games of the season in which he’s played, Walker has a negative 0.5 WAR. Walker is batting just .215 with a .273 on-base percentage and .310 slugging percentage. His OPS dipped below .600, as he’s sitting at a disappointing .583 to start the 2025 season.
Offensively, Walker has been poor in 2025. It’s not the first year he’s struggled, as in the previous two seasons in the Major Leagues, Walker has also had a tough time at the plate. In his rookie season, Walker was solid, with a .787 OPS and a 113 OPS+. But 2024 paled in comparison. He had a measly 65 OPS+ and a .610 OPS in 51 games.
While Walker has struggled in the Major Leagues overall, he is still a young player and could benefit from more opportunities at the MLB level. There are plenty of players who started their careers poorly and turned the corner at some point. Walker could be one of those players.
But, before looking into the future and unknowns with Walker, he needs to have a successful rehab stint in Triple-A before getting brought back up to the Major Leagues. Walker begins a very important rehab stint in Triple-A on Thursday, as he looks to return to the Cardinals roster and rebound from a tough start to the season.
