Latest Cardinals roster moves put key player’s development in jeopardy

The St. Louis Cardinals made multiple roster moves on Wednesday after another massive loss on Independence Day.

Of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 50 losses so far this year, 26 of them came in games that the team led at one point. They’ve also allowed opponents to creep into the double-digits in runs scored eight times, including on the Fourth of July. The Miami Marlins put a beatdown on the Cards, 15-2.

But the loss wasn’t the only area the Cardinals got wounded.

By the end of the day, Adam Wainwright was on the injured list and set to defend any early murmurs of an advanced timeline of his planned retirement. Andrew Knizer also was hospitalized and released after taking a foul ball to the groin. 

As a result, multiple moves were made to reinforce the roster. Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that Dakota Hudson, Ivan Herrera, and Zack Thompson were all recalled.

Zack Thompson’s development put on backburner because of injuries

The Cardinals season has been anything but good. And now, with a flurry of injuries, the Cardinals are having trouble keeping their timelines in order. As Woo points out, Zack Thompson’s development plan for the year was to reposition himself as a starter in the minor leagues and compete for a rotation spot in 2024. Now, being recalled due to the injuries on the team, he’s back in a relief role.

That’s a complicated predicament for a young player still trying to break into the big leagues full-time since the approach as a relief pitcher and starting pitcher tends to be entirely different. Thompson, 25, is still looking to stick.

His shift to becoming a starting pitcher has been challenging this year. With Memphis at Triple-A, he’s started nine games with a 9.09 ERA and 2.480 WHIP.

Thompson has admitted the adjustment this year and being sent down was an adjustment and challenge.

"“It hit me hard the first day or two I was in St. Louis,” Thompson said. “Was completely caught off guard and was not expecting a month in to basically be told you’re done up here for the year. It took a couple of days to kind of reset and doing a lot of thinking and just getting my mind cleared up and getting here, and just being patient with my own process.”"

So now, imagine going right back to where you started and shifting that focus completely again.

The Cardinals, at this point, have twisted around the timelines for Thompson, whether they intended to or not. If Thompson can come out of this stint with some confidence and excitement about being back with the big-league roster, even if it’s just for a period of time, that’s a huge win for St. Louis. But there’s a possibility this move could have lasting impacts on the development of a young pitcher.

Presumably, the Cardinals will use Thompson in a relief role while he’s back in the big leagues, which he has had some success in at the top level before.