The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of a massive series against the Chicago Cubs. After winning the first two games of the series and getting to within 2.5 games of the Cubs for the NL Central lead, the Cardinals were dealt a bit of bad news ahead of the third game of the series.
In a post on Twitter/X, the Cardinals announced that right fielder Jordan Walker has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 23rd. Walker is dealing with appendicitis and will miss more time this season after a previous stint on the injured list.
RHP Matt Svanson and INF José Fermín have been recalled from Memphis (AAA).
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 25, 2025
RHP Michael McGreevy has been optioned to Memphis.
OF Jordan Walker has been placed on the 10-day IL (appendicitis), retroactive to 6/23. pic.twitter.com/xdvwwAg3yr
This news hits the Cardinals before the third game in a huge series against the Cubs. While Walker didn't suit up for either of the previous Cubs games, he did play over the weekend and had no hits across seven at-bats.
In 2025, Walker's third season in the Major Leagues, his struggles offensively have gotten worse. His OPS+ is at 57, which is 14 points lower than his previous career low. Walker also has a .295 slugging percentage, which is more than .070 points lower than his previous career low.
Walker, through 55 games for the Cardinals in 2025, has 37 hits, 21 runs scored, four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 23 RBIs, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 63 strikeouts. This season, Walker has accumulated -1.0 WAR, the worst in a single season, and half of his career -2.0 WAR.
The 23-year-old has a ton of potential, but has struggled to live up to it in the Major Leagues. He's not managed to make a positive difference in the Majors, and he's once again going on the injured list in 2025.
St. Louis is striving to make a postseason run, and Walker's continuous injuries are forcing the team to make roster moves frequently. While his injury this time is a bit different, it still hurts all the same for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals recalled José Fermín from Triple-A Memphis to take Walker's spot on the MLB roster, and will look to utilize him coming off the bench, as waiver pickup Garrett Hampson slides into Walker's role in the starting lineup.