The St. Louis Cardinals have quietly been playing very good baseball lately. They kicked off their series against the Colorado Rockies on Friday with a 3-2 win, and St. Louis is winners of three of its last four games.
Earlier this week, the Cardinals got in on the waiver wire fun across Major League Baseball by acquiring Everson Pereira.
Due to Everson Pereira’s contract status, there is going to have to be a casualty on the Cardinals’ roster, and reports point to that player being Nelson Velázquez (can’t be optioned), who is set to be DFA’d on Saturday.
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St. Louis Cardinals Reportedly Set to Cut Nelson Velázquez
GettyST LOUIS, MISSOURI – JULY 6: Nelson Velázquez #38 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits an RBI single against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at Busch Stadium on July 6, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
St. Louis Cardinals reporter Jeff Jones wrote (via X.com): “Cardinals will be removing Nelson Velázquez from the active roster tomorrow to open an active spot for Everson Pereira. He is out of options, so that will require a DFA or release.”
It’s possible that the Cardinals will skip the whole DFA process and just grant Nelson Velázquez a request, but the formal roster move hasn’t been announced yet.
Nelson Velázquez, 27, has played in 34 games with the Cardinals this season, and is batting .216 across 74 at-bats.
It’s release season in Major League Baseball, with players switching teams all across the league. Nelson Velázquez has played in parts of four MLB seasons. He last appeared in a game for the Cardinals on August 4, going 1-for-4 with a double.
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Inside Nelson Velázquez’s MLB Career
GettyST LOUIS, MISSOURI – MAY 31: Nelson Velazquez #38 of the St. Louis Cardinals catches a fly ball hit by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium on May 31, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)
Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017, Nelson Velázquez made his MLB debut with the Cubbies in 2022.
He spent two seasons in Chicago before jumping over to the Kansas City Royals, and spending parts of two seasons there.
Velázquez did not appear in MLB in 2025 before joining the Cardinals this season.
Across 228 games in his career, Nelson Velázquez holds a lifetime .212 average with 35 home runs, 99 RBI, and an OPS+ of 98.
*This story will be updated when the official roster move breaks
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