The St. Louis Cardinals recalled Masyn Winn from the injured list only to bench him the very next day. It’s a bizarre twist for a player who’d been out with a broken thumb since late August. The team announced his return on Tuesday, then yanked him from Wednesday’s starting lineup against the San Francisco Giants because the thumb still ached. This sudden flip-flop leaves the infield in chaos as the season heads into its final stretch.
The Sudden Scratch
Winn was slated to bat eighth in the lineup for the series finale. The plan crumbled before a single pitch was thrown. Roundtable Sports’ John Denton reported, “Cardinals say that SS Masyn Winn has been scratched from today’s starting lineup with left thumb soreness.” That’s no minor issue. He sat on the IL from Aug. 25 until just last night with a fractured left thumb. He played one game on Tuesday, going 0-for-4 at the plate, but the pain clearly didn’t vanish.
On Wednesday, the Cardinals sat at 72-74, two games below .500, which makes every single game matter right now. Thomas Saggese had to slide over to shortstop to fill the void, while José FermÃn took over second base in the updated order. It’s a messy setup for a franchise desperate for stability. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed Winn was scratched, a move verified by multiple outlets. The team desperately needs wins, but they can’t force a player to run a fracture that only just healed.
A Roller Coaster Return
The roster shuffle that brought Winn back happened on Tuesday. The Cardinals officially tweeted that “SS Masyn Winn has been activated from the 10-day IL,” while Memphis (AAA) received INF César Prieto via option. This meant the club had to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to get their young shortstop back in the fold. They sent infielder César Prieto down to Triple-A to make room. It was a quick decision that looked solid until the thumb flared up again.
Because of that fracture, Winn hadn’t seen game action since Aug. 21. He missed more than two weeks of play. The stats reveal a player who was already struggling before the injury hit. Winn has slashed .238/.314/.326 with five homers, 51 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 19 doubles, and two triples across 122 games. He was trying to find his rhythm, but the injury cut his streak short yet again. NBCSports.com’s George Bissell noted that “Winn returns to St. Louis’ lineup for Tuesday’s tilt against the Giants following a two-week absence due to a fractured left thumb.” That return lasted less than 24 hours.
The Infield Shuffle
The Cardinals are now stuck with a patchwork infield for the rest of the series. Saggese is the new shortstop. FermÃn is the new second baseman. It’s not the plan they wanted heading into the final 15 games of the season. If Winn needs to go back on the IL, his season would likely end right there. The team can’t afford to lose him for the long haul right now. They need their best young players healthy to make any late push.
The announcement on X on Tuesday seemed final. “SS Masyn Winn has been activated from the 10-day IL,” the Cardinals declared. But the reality of the thumb soreness forced a change before the first pitch dropped. The team stated “INF César Prieto has been optioned to Memphis (AAA)” to make the move work. Now they have to wait and see if Winn can actually play. The fans in St. Louis want to see him hit. They want to see him run. But health comes first. The Cardinals will have to watch the injury report closely before the next game.
