Ray Mileur

The Cardinals have corrected the date on the transaction report to March 22, 2026.

#STLCards The St. Louis Cardinals have placed RHP Hunter Dobbins on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 2, 2026. Right knee ACL reconstruction rehab.

@AugieNash Congratulations, looking forward to your continued coverage of the Cardinals minor leagues. Best wishes for your continued success.

Good for Kyle! He's been a solid and consistent content provider on the Cardinals minor league system for a long time. I'm happy to see him being rewarded for his dedication! #STLCards

@bschaeffer12 Congratulations, I am looking forward to seeing your coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals this season. Best wishes for your continued success. Kindest regards.

Excited to share that when I head to Busch on Thursday morning, I'll be covering Opening Day for Cardinals.com. I'm looking forward to bringing boots-on-the-ground coverage of #STLCards home games for dot com all season in 2026. Can't wait to get started!

I just subscribed to Words About Birds and I’m looking forward to following your coverage this season. Earlier this spring, you responded to a question I had, and that meant a lot—it's always appreciated when someone in the mainstream media takes the time to engage with fans like that. Best wishes and kindest regards.

Please consider subscribing to Words About Birds. I am very humbled by the response so far and closing in on the entirely arbitrary goals inside my head. I appreciate anyone even considering it: words-about-birds.beehiiv.com

Most of why I decided to start Words About Birds is that I genuinely wanted to write more and more and not do anything else, so if you’re tired of the sales pitch, please know I am too. The other reason to start it? A desire to exchange a service for currency. So!

@joshjaco98 Congratulations Josh! Well earned opportunity—looking forward to your coverage on the road all year long. #STLCards

Exciting personal update: I’m joining cardinals.com this season as a contributor! I’ll be primarily covering road games for the site and hope you tune in with us all season long!

The St. Louis Cardinals have officially placed outfielder Lars Nootbaar on the 60-day injured list following offseason surgery to address bilateral Haglund’s deformity in both heels. The move, which had been anticipated, clears a spot on the club’s 40-man roster for top prospect JJ Wetherholt as the organization continues shaping its roster ahead of the 2026 season. Nootbaar is expected to miss at least the first two months of the season as he continues his recovery. His absence leaves a noticeable gap in the Cardinals’ outfield mix, particularly in terms of on-base ability and defensive versatility. From an old-school baseball standpoint, this is one of those early tests of depth. The Cardinals will need others to step forward—not just to fill innings, but to hold the line until reinforcements arrive. It’s not how you draw it up in March—but it’s part of the long road every season brings. Full story link below; cardinalchronicle.com/blog/nootbaar-…

#STLCards — This is what our sacred 40-man roster has produced? Left field by committee. Catcher by committee. Closer by committee. Even the rotation feels like a risky calculation built on converted relievers. Committees are where progress goes to die. I grew up rooting for Brock, Boyer, Gibson, Ozzie, & Simmons and later Carpenter, Izzy, Molina, Pujols, & Wainwright. Players, not spreadsheets. Performance over projections. This could explain some of the fans, including my own recent disappointment in the Cardinals roster decisions. When efficiency replaces identity, baseball begins to lose its soul.

#STLCards Morning Farm Report (3/25/26) 🌱 1. The heat is on — 8,357 in attendance for the Cardinals exhibition game in Springfield. 🌱 2. Memphis opens the season on the road Friday at Gwinnett. 🌱 3. The transition is underway — SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (#6) not throwing left-handed in recent sessions. 🌱 4. C Rainiel Rodriguez (#3), 19, flashed power (115.6 mph single) and threw out runners in Spring Breakout. 🌱 5. Springfield set to open with one of the system’s most balanced rosters — pitching and defense both strengths. 🌱 6. Memphis lineup expected to feature a mix of near-ready bats and depth options for St. Louis. 🌱 7. Watch the early innings this week — first turns through rotations often reveal command more than velocity. 🌱 8. Catching depth remains a quiet strength in the system, with multiple levels covered. 🌱 9. System check: development mode is active — less about transactions, more about assignments and roles. There is hope on the horizon.

#STLCards Morning Briefing (3/25/26) • Committees are where progress goes to die. • Left field — by committee: Nathan Church (the only true outfielder), with Thomas Saggese and José Fermín rotating in. • Closer — by committee: JoJo Romero, Matt Svanson, Riley O’Brien, Ryan Stanek, and George Soriano. No defined ninth-inning arm. • Catcher — by committee: Pedro Pagés a quality backup/reserve, likely to carry the workload, with Iván Herrera and Yohel Pozo behind him. Carrying three catchers the same number as outfielders is a plan? • Rotation outlook: Built around converted relievers and limited innings history—more projection than proven durability. It's risky. • Lars Nootbaar (heels): To be evaluated this week for potential placement on the 60-day IL, per Chaim Bloom. • Per Brian Walton (The Cardinal Nation): Nootbaar took batting practice Tuesday with minor leaguers in Jupiter. - this comes just days after Nootbaar began a running progression program last Friday. • JJ Wetherholt: Officially changed his number to 26 on Tuesday. I don't ever recall seeing number changes on the transaction's reports. But there it was. • The Cardinals are the only MLB team without a former All-Star on their Opening Day roster. - (From Cardinals Stats & Facts)

#STLCards — When did the Cardinals stop being a team with an identity and become a team built by committee? A closer look at how the Moneyball era is reshaping the roster—and what it’s costing the game on the field. cardinalchronicle.com/blog/how-the-c…

@AugieNash I was familiar with the Stars, but I don't recall every seeing this photograph before, thanks for sharing.

Stars Park in St. Louis, Missouri, was a historic baseball park located at the southeast corner of Compton and Laclede Avenues, with its address listed as 130 South Compton Avenue. The 10,000 seating capacity wood structure was built specifically for the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League, it operated from 1922 to 1931 and was one of the rare ballparks constructed solely for a Negro league team. The St. Louis Stars, originally the St. Louis Giants before their 1922 rebranding, were a dominant force, securing three pennants from 1928 to 1931. The signature feature of Stars Park was a trolley car shed that served as the right field wall. While the shed was tall, it was also located a mere 250 feet away from home plate. This led to unique gameplay rules - sometimes counting home runs over the barn as ground rule doubles. Known as a hitter’s park, it was a stage for legends like Hall of Famers James "Cool Papa" Bell, Willie Wells, and George "Mule" Suttles. The park closed after the Negro National League collapsed in 1931 during the Great Depression and the passing of founder and visionary, Rube Foster a year earlier. For decades, little visual evidence of the stadium was known until a 2016 discovery by the Missouri Historical Society unearthed a rare photograph (below). Today, the site lies within Harris-Stowe State University’s campus (a HBCU school), where its legacy endures through a modern baseball field. In October 2020, the St. Louis Cardinals’ "Cardinals Care" program and the university completed a $1 million-plus renovation, upgrading the baseball field and adding a softball field, honoring Stars Park’s history while serving today’s student-athletes. @NLBMuseumKC | @nlbmprez

#STLCards — The Cardinal Chronicle lineup for today: • Cardinals add top prospect to Opening Day roster • Performance should matter — but not enough for Velázquez • Moves the Cardinals could have made — but didn’t • Eras are not defined by their beginnings • The Trainer’s Table — injuries to watch In case you missed it: • Prospect Stock Market Report (Monday) • Call to the Pen — Cardinals set bullpen for 2026 • The Farm Report — State of the system

#STLCards Morning Briefing (3/24/26) ⚾️ 1. Top prospect JJ Wetherholt makes the Opening Day roster — youth movement is real. ⚾️ 2. Nelson Velázquez optioned to Memphis despite a strong spring at the plate. ⚾️ 3. Thomas Saggese earns a spot after limited reps due to WBC duty (Italy). ⚾️ 4. Cardinals pass on using Jordan Walker’s final option — he stays in St. Louis. ⚾️ 5. José Fermín and Thomas Saggese — both natural infielders — will be getting looks in left field. ⚾️ 6. Michael McGreevy: 2.45 ERA, 16:2 K:BB (18.1 IP) this spring — velocity remains a question. First start, Saturday, 03/28 vs the Tampa Bay Rays ⚾️ 7. Kyle Leahy set for his season debut start March 30 vs. the Mets at Busch. He has not been used as a regular starter since 2022. Never pitched more than 90 innings. ⚾️ 8. Cardinals edge Double-A affiliate 3–2 in exhibition tune-up. ⚾️ 9. Opening Day forecast: Sunny, 92°, slight rain chance — bring the sunscreen

#STLCards Morning Farm Report (3/24/26) 🌱 1. Joshua Baez (#4 prospect) opens in Memphis — power bat waiting for its moment. 🌱 2. Nelson Velázquez heads to Triple-A — his power will play if the at-bats come. 🌱 3. RHP Ryan Fernandez continues to struggle — 11.43 ERA this spring, HR allowed to first batter Monday. 🌱 4. C Leonardo Bernal (AA Springfield), switch-hitter and 2025 MiLB Gold Glove winner — fast riser, 2027 watch. 🌱 5. RHP Richard Fitts, last starter cut from MLB camp, expected to anchor the Memphis rotation. 🌱 6. RHP Quinn Mathews returns to Memphis — 107 K in 94 IP, but 74 walks remain the concern. 🌱 7. RHP Tanner Franklin (2025 2nd-round pick) — 102 mph fastball, high-leverage profile, likely rising from Peoria. 🌱 8. SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje opens at Springfield — development focus on right-handed consistency. 🌱 9. System check: pitching depth continues to lead the way — command will determine how fast this group moves.

@JeffPassan To me, he may be perhaps the most exciting player in baseball to watch this season.

BREAKING: Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs are finalizing a long-term contract extension, sources tell ESPN. Crow-Armstrong, coming off a 30-30 season and a Gold Glove, will get a big payday as the Cubs lock up a franchise-caliber talent.