Ray Mileur

#STLCards Morning Farm Report🌱 (03/26/26) • LHP Liam Doyle (#2) showing early fastball command issues—monitor • LHP Brandon Clarke (#7) day-to-day; not expected back until June • LHP Ixan Henderson (#9) day-to-day (left flexor strain) • RHP Tekoah Roby (#15) to Memphis 60-day IL; unlikely to return in 2026 • SS/OF Ryan Mitchell (#14): tools, swagger, upside—one of the system’s most exciting young players, will be shifting to the outfield • OF Nathan Church (#19) makes 26-man roster; likely primary LF, solid glove, bat a work in progress. • RHP Tanner Franklin (#8) impressed this spring; stock trending up • SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (#6) now throwing primarily right-handed • Early watch: several top prospects expected to start one level below their projected ceiling for the season - a lot of transactions coming in 2026 We'll see you at the ballpark! * (#) - Current Prospect Ranking

#STLCards Morning Report — Opening Day ⚾️ • 3:15pm CT vs Rays (Gates 12:00 | Clydesdales 2:30) • Liberatore gets the ball vs former club • Rotation set: Libby, McGreevy, May, Leahy, Pallante • Nootbaar to 60-day IL → Wetherholt makes roster • Hunter Dobbins to 15-day IL (knee) • Bernal (#11) gaining ground at C - arriving 2026? • Pushard (Rule 5) debuts this week • Church likely in LF (elite defense) • Opening Day energy back at Busch — here we go We'll see you at the ballpark!

20 Years Ago, the old Birdhouse (1998-2008) of Scout,com and Fox Sports, passed out 5000 of these posters on Opening Day!

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…