Matt

Wieters

He’ll absorb the roster spot left by Matt Wieters, who left the team for a few days to go on paternity leave. Despaigne had mixed results during his last stint in Baltimore, logging a 4.81 ERA over 15 outings.

This injury comes with awful timing for the Cardinals, as they are set to play a doubleheader against the Twins on Tuesday in St. Louis. Matt Wieters took over behind the plate on Monday at Wrigley Field.

Wieters had been sidelined since August 20 due to a toe contusion. He’ll resume his role as the primary backup behind Yadier Molina. Andrew Knizner was optioned to the alternate site in a corresponding move.

Wieters is heading to the IL on the same day that Yadier Molina was activated off the 10-day injured list. The switch-hitting backstop will likely only need the required 10 days before he returns to backing up Molina at the end of August -- assuming there are no setbacks, of course.

This deal was agreed upon on Sunday and has now been made official after Wieters passed the necessary pre-signing physical exam. The 33-year-old catcher will return as the primary backup to Yadier Molina after registering a .702 OPS with 11 home runs and 27 RBI over 67 games last season with St. Louis.

He can earn an additional $1 million in incentives. While Wieters batted just .214/.268/.435 overall, he did pop 11 home runs over 67 games with the Cards last season. He will again back up Yadier Molina, with Andrew Knizner now likely slated to begin the year at Triple-A Memphis.

President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said he is optimistic that a deal will get done. Wieters served as the Cardinals’ back-up catcher last year and seems likely to reprise that role in 2020. He slashed a paltry .214/.268/.435 with 11 homers and 27 RBI in 67 games last year for the Cards.

Wieters slugged 11 home runs over 183 plate appearances for the Cards last season and they’d like to bring him back as Yadier Molina’s backup. He would figure to receive more playing time in Oakland, although the A’s appear ready to give the bulk of their catching duties to top prospect Sean Murphy. It would be difficult for Wieters to churn out any fantasy value with either club.

Wieters would be a nice veteran complement to Sean Murphy in Oakland, though he might be able to find a team that will assure him of a larger role. The 33-year-old switch-hitter tallied 11 home runs and 27 RBI in 67 games (41 starts) this summer as the backup to Yadier Molina in St. Louis.

Making his first plate appearance since August 31, the veteran catcher drove a hanging Max Scherzer curveball over the right field wall to put the Cardinals up 5-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning. And that score would hold. Wieters had been out all month because of a nagging calf injury.