The St. Louis Cardinals are in the middle of a slump, losing six of their last seven games, including the first two contests of their weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Cardinals will try to avoid a sweep on Sunday, and ahead of the series finale, manager Oliver Marmol made a notable lineup change involving slugger Jordan Walker.
Cardinals Announce Walker Change
Walker has started in right field in each of the first two games of the series, but the Cardinals will give him a break from defense on Sunday.
Instead, Walker will serve as the designated hitter, while Lars Nootbaar gets the start in right field.
Cardinals 8/2
L. Nootbaar RF
J. Walker DH
A. Burleson 1B
I. Herrera C
M. Winn SS
B. Torres LF
J. Fermín 2B
N. Church CF
B. Jordan 3BM. Liberatore SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 2, 2026
Walker’s 2026 Season
Walker is in his fourth season with the Cardinals and has enjoyed the best year of his young career. He earned his first All-Star selection and won the Home Run Derby.
He enters Sunday batting .282 with 67 runs, 119 hits, 22 home runs, and 79 RBIs while slugging .493 with an .835 OPS.
Cardinals Right Now
The Cardinals entered the All-Star break above .500 and firmly in the National League playoff race. Just a few weeks later, they are 54-57 and sit in fourth place in the NL Central.
They trail the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers by 15.5 games and sit 4.0 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot.
St. Louis has gone just 4-12 since returning from the All-Star break on July 17. After Sunday’s game, the Cardinals will head to the Bronx to open a three-game series against the New York Yankees on Monday.
St. Louis Cardinals Announce Jordan Walker Change During Blue Jays Series