Cardinals Set to Promote Outfield Prospect Joshua Báez

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to promote outfield prospect Joshua Báez, who will be included in the lineup for the upcoming game. Manager Oli Marmol confirmed this decision to reporters, with Mike Rodriguez of Rompiendo Sports first reporting the news.

Báez, 23, was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2021 draft. Over his minor league career from 2021 to 2024, he has accumulated 896 plate appearances, hitting 24 home runs but striking out 34.4% of the time. Last season, he demonstrated improvement, hitting 20 home runs in 499 plate appearances with a reduced strikeout rate of 20.6%.

This year, Báez has excelled further, hitting 34 home runs in 461 plate appearances, although his strikeout rate has increased to 29.5%. He is already on the 40-man roster, so only a corresponding move will be necessary to accommodate his promotion, likely involving infielder César Prieto, whose locker was cleared after today's game.