ӣ����Ƶ

“I’m ready to go. ... It feels good to be back after the All-Star break, and I’m ready to get going again,” Walker said Friday from the visiting clubhouse at Chase Field.

Walker, 23, returns from his second IL stint of this season with a .210 batting average, a .562 OPS in 55 games. The young outfielder landed on the 10-day IL on June 25 with appendicitis, which required an overnight hospital stay. Walker returned home the next morning after receiving a nonsurgical treatment that helped him avoid a more severe issue. In the days after his hospital stay, Walker increased physical activity before being sent on a rehab assignment that began with Class AAA Memphis and led him to Class AA Springfield (Missouri) at the start of July.

While working with coaches in Springfield and receiving time in right field and at-bats as a designated hitter, Walker reportedly felt well as he jumped back into game action. The Cardinals wanted to give him time to find comfort with swing changes as he worked with minor league coaching, including Russ Steinhorn, the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator, and Springfield hitting coach Casey Chenoweth.

Adjustments to his body position were a main focus.

“Things that will help me get into a good position to hit,” Walker said. “Stuff like that, and more of making sure my weight is going towards the ball, not away from it, was a big key. ... I like to keep it simple during the season. I don’t like to think about too much stuff. If we had to focus on one area, I think that the area we focused on most was making sure my body and my weight and my power are going towards the ball, not away from it, so I can drive the ball to all parts of the field.”

Across 10 rehab games with Springfield, Walker had six hits in 38 at-bats. He homered twice and hit three doubles. Four of the six hits and two of the homers he clubbed came in the final four games he played before the All-Star break arrived.

“Just consistency,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said regarding what the Cardinals hope to see from Walker’s swing adjustments. “I think when you look at Jordan, there are a lot of inconsistencies about how his back comes through, and I think this helps clean up some of the wasted movement and it allows him to just launch from a more consistent position. That’s our hope.”

The IL stay for appendicitis was Walker’s second IL stint this season. The 23-year-old missed around two weeks at the start of June because of inflammation in his left wrist.

As one of the young Cardinals who was set to receive ample playing time this season, Walker, the club’s opening day starting right fielder, is slashing .210/.267/.295 with three homers and four doubles. He has 63 strikeouts in 191 plate appearances. Considering Alec Burleson’s consistency at the plate, which has landed him a starting role in right field, Walker’s playing time upon his return may be uncertain.

On Friday, Walker was slotted into the Cardinals’ lineup in the No. 7 spot and in at right field after Nolan Gorman, who was scheduled to start at second base and bat fifth, was scratched because of back discomfort.

The next steps for Saggese

To clear a spot for Walker’s return, infielder Thomas Saggese was optioned to Class AAA Memphis. Saggese, 23, returns to the minors after he batted .133 with a .308 OPS in 14 games following his call-up from Class AAA on June 20.

With top prospect JJ Wetherholt promoted to Memphis, the Cardinals plan to keep both Saggese and Wetherholt rotating across the infield to give them reps at second base, shortstop and third base. Continuing the development at the plate to limit chasing pitching out of the strike zone will be a key for Saggese upon his return to the minors.

“He (Saggese) does a nice job of using the whole field and taking a tough at-bat, but the league will start throwing him less strikes and see what he does with it, so he has to do a better job of controlling the strike zone,” Marmol said.

Extra bases

The Cardinals hope Lars Nootbaar (left costochondral sprain) can begin a swing progression as early as Monday. Nootbaar, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 13, remained in ӣ����Ƶ while the Cardinals began their two-city road trip coming out of the All-Star break.

Former Cardinals starter Kyle Gibson announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Thursday during an appearance on the “Serving It Up” podcast. Gibson, a former Mizzou standout, pitched for the Cardinals in 2024. The longtime starter spent the bulk of his big-league career with the Minnesota Twins, who selected him in the first round of the 2009 draft. Gibson pitched for the Orioles in 2025. The 37-year-old’s 13-year career also included time with the Rangers, with whom he was named an All-Star in 2021, and the Phillies.