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3 surprises about St. Louis Cardinals Wild Card roster

By Kevin Henry

Sep 11, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Chris Stratton (30) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Chris Stratton (30) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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ST LOUIS, MO – MAY 01: Tyler O’Neill #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after being caught stealing second base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Busch Stadium on May 1, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO – MAY 01: Tyler O’Neill #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after being caught stealing second base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Busch Stadium on May 1, 2022 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

2. Tyler O’Neill

OK, maybe it’s not a complete surprise that O’Neill wasn’t recovered enough from a hamstring injury to play a meaningful role for the Cardinals in the Wild Card round, but it’s certainly a disappointing turn of events in what has been a disappointing season for the 27-year-old outfielder.

Limited to just 96 games this season with hamstring and shoulder injuries, O’Neill has lacked the productivity when he has been healthy that he flashed last season when he finished eighth in the National League MVP voting. His slash line of .228/.308/.392 puts him with an OPS+ of 101, which is barely above league average.

In the Wild Card round, Dylan Carlson will hold down center field and the Cardinals will wait and see if O’Neill will be healthy enough to be a part of the NLDS roster (should St. Louis advance). If O’Neill is healthy enough to take part in the next round (a best-of-five matchup against the Atlanta Braves), St. Louis will be hoping that he figures out a way to revert back to what he showed in 2021.

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