St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt was placed on the injured list on Aug. 30 with inflammation in his right wrist. With the Cardinals‘ playoff hopes dwindling during the final stretch, St. Louis is getting good news about their rookie phenom.
John Denton of Roundtable Sports reported that Wetherholt worked out on the field Saturday, took batting practice on Sunday, and will do the same Monday. Tuesday looks like the deciding day, as Wetherholt will go through his entire pregame routine and, if all goes well, could be back on the field “as early as Wednesday.”
Denton would go on to say that Wetherholt hopes to return to the field before the Cardinals’ final homestand ends this upcoming weekend.
JJ Wetherholt’s Rookie Of The Year Chances
Wetherholt was the frontrunner for the National League Rookie of the Year award for most of the season. His injury late this season might have squandered his chances at beating out Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart. The Cardinal second baseman would likely need to go on a tear to usurp Stewart, who is a heavy favorite.
Wetherholt has been a light for St. Louis this season. As the Cardinals faded over the last two months, Wetherholt was a key cog in the Cardinals’ offense and will be for years to come. Wetherholt was trending toward a 5 WAR season in his rookie campaign, which is a strong baseline to set for the Cardinals’ future.
Even if Wetherholt falls short this season, the Cardinals got a good look at what they have in store for the future.
What Is On Tap For The St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are in the middle of their final homestand of the 2026 season. They welcome the San Francisco Giants to Busch Stadium, who swept the Cardinals just a week ago. Wetherholt could return for the final game of the series with San Francisco, but he wants to return before the team departs St. Louis for the final time this season.
The Washington Nationals come to St. Louis for the weekend after the Giants depart. Despite the relatively weak schedule in September, St. Louis has not done enough to play themselves into playoff consideration with a couple of weeks to go.
The Cardinals are 7.5 games back of the final wild card spot in the National League. It was a rebuilding season in St. Louis, and Cardinals Nation has a lot of good to look forward to in the future. Wetherholt and Jordan Walker broke out in a big way, and they are getting a taste of what comes next season with Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal in the final month of the season.
Cardinals JJ Wetherholt Hopeful To Play Again In 2026