The St. Louis Cardinals are preparing to welcome back their 2006 World Series championship club on Friday night as they try to bounce back from being swept by the San Francisco Giants. They’ll play host to the Chicago White Sox and look to play the role of spoiler for the South Siders, who lead the American League Central.
Recently, the Cardinals welcomed Masyn Winn back from the injured list after he had been out with a right thumb fracture. He returned Tuesday night, but felt a little residual soreness in the thumb, which resulted in him being scratched from the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale.
However, the Cardinals announced their lineup for Friday night’s game, and barring any potential changes, Winn is batting eighth and starting at the shortstop position.
Masyn Winn Returns for St. Louis Cardinals After Day Off
Winn has posted a 2.7 WAR this season while slashing .236/.312/.323 with five home runs, 51 RBI, 10 stolen bases and a .635 OPS. He has struggled at the plate this season, but still remains a solid force defensively. He won his first Gold Glove last season despite missing the final month with a torn meniscus.
But Winn still provides a lot of value for the Cardinals with his speed and defense, so having him healthy will be important as they prepare to take on the White Sox and try to spoil their playoff hopes. They’ll need to be at full strength if they’re going to beat the White Sox, especially after getting swept by the Giants.
At this point, the Cardinals chances of making the playoffs are very slim. They are 6 1/2 games back in the National League wild card race and have already been eliminated from NL Central title contention.
At 72-75, there isn’t much left to play for, but they can still impact the playoff race if they can win their series against the White Sox and pick up a little momentum to finish their final homestand of the season strong.
The Cardinals have Matthew Liberatore pitching on Friday against Anthony Kay, while Kyle Leahy will pitch Saturday against Luis Castillo. Sunday’s matchup features Michael McGreevy for St. Louis. The White Sox have still yet to announce who their starter will be for that game.
The Cardinals have been a lot better than expected this season, even though they are three games under .500 with 15 to go. After all of their offseason trades, not much was expected for Chaim Bloom’s team.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Remaining Schedule Features Key Matchup
After finishing their series with the White Sox, the Cardinals will welcome the Giants to town for three games and will have a chance at payback. They will close out their home slate against the Washington Nationals.
They’ll open their final road trip with a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but for the final weekend of the season, they’ll face the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in Major League Baseball.
If the Cardinals win the series, they could potentially spoil Milwaukee’s hopes of finishing with home field advantage throughout the World Series.
Cardinals’ Masyn Winn Returns to Lineup After Day Off