Just as he was heating up, Jordan Walker has landed on the Injured List with left wrist inflammation. This is a crushing blow for St. Louis Cardinals fans who just want to see the former top prospect succeed at the MLB level, but this injury does open the door for a red-hot hitter, Ryan Vilade, to get a shot in the majors.
The Cardinals have placed Jordan Walker on the 10-day IL (left wrist inflammation/retroactive May 29) and optioned Gordon Graceffo to Memphis.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) May 31, 2025
Roddery Muñoz is up, Ryan Vilade has been selected from Memphis. #STLCards
Vilade signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals over the offseason and has been crushing the ball for Triple-A Memphis, slashing .280/.375/.476 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 48 games played. He might not be as exciting of a player as Walker, and might not play nearly as much as Walker did, but Vilade should get a chance to contribute in a specific way to this Cardinals team.
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Cardinals should have particular role in mind for Ryan Vilade
With Walker out, there's a good chance that Alec Burleson will take over for him in right field most days, but he's a platoon bat. He's very good against right-handed pitching, but has just two hits in 12 at-bats against left-handers after hitting .195 with a .514 OPS against them last season. He doesn't get many opportunities against southpaws, and when he does face them, he doesn't do much.
With that in mind, the Cardinals will need a platoon partner for Burleson in right field. That's where Vilade, a utility man who can play all over the diamond, can step in.
Not only are Vilade's overall numbers exceptional, but he's been even better against left-handers, recording 10 hits in 30 at-bats (.333 BA), three of which have gone for extra bases. It's a small sample, obviously, but Vilade has hit lefties pretty well in the minor leagues over the course of his career.
Now, there's a good chance he'll have the opportunity to do so at the MLB level. Vilade has 20 games of MLB experience, 17 of which came last season, but he has just a .416 OPS in his 56 plate appearances at the big league level.
This is not only the Cardinals' chance to try and figure out a way to navigate right field without the red-hot Walker, but this is Vilade's chance to prove he belongs at the MLB level. His Triple-A numbers are good, but the jump from Triple-A to the majors is a huge one. Hopefully, Vilade has what it takes to potentially stick around.