Blaze

Jordan

Jordan did his damage off of Rhett Lowder in the fifth inning, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 advantage. It would be short lived though. That would be his only hit in three at-bats on the evening. The 23-year-old slugger has held his own thus far, slashing .245/.257/.367 with one homer and 20 RBI in his first 105 plate appearances with the Cardinals.

Ryan Waldschmidt just missed making a diving catch on the triple to left center. It goes as Jordan’s second three-hit game since his callup last month. With José Fermin mostly taking over at third, Jordan had been out of the Cardinals’ lineup the previous three games. He might wind up back in Triple-A if the team continues to struggle to find regular playing time for him, but this will help.

Jordan went 3-for-5 on Friday, only to sit the next two days anyway. The Cardinals obviously aren’t in love with his defense at the hot corner, and José Fermín made his third straight start there tonight with Jordan giving Alec Burleson a day off at first base. The good news for Jordan is that Nolan Gorman is hitting even worse in Triple-A than he did in the majors. Still, that doesn’t really assure Jordan much if the Cardinals don’t want to use him at third.

Jordan had started 13 straight games. In his place at third base today is Bryan Torres, who last started a game on June 14. Jordan is batting .267/.280/.444 with one homer and 12 RBI. He’s only 4-for-19 with one double in his last six games, but he’s knocked in seven runs anyway.

Jordan did what he could to try and drag his club back into this game with a two-run single in the ninth inning off Alex Lange. The two were entangled in a seven-pitch battle that Jordan eventually won which briefly turned this into a one run game. That now gives up seven RBI over his first week of major league action and he’s hit the ball quite hard with regularity. He could be worth a look if you’re desperate for corner infield help.

The triple looked like a routine fly to right, but Austin Martin got worried about the wall and missed the ball. The homer was very legitimate, leaving Jordan’s bat at 110.2 mph and traveling a projected 418 feet to left-center. Jordan probably isn’t a third baseman for the long haul, but the Cardinals needed to give him a look, and if he shows he belongs, they can figure something out. He’s 4-for-8 so far.

With Nolan Gorman optioned to Triple-A, the runway is there for Jordan to get everyday at-bats with the Cardinals to show what he can do. The power potential is legit here, which may make him an intriguing addition in deeper mixed leagues.

It’s the first trip to the big leagues for Jordan. The 23-year-old slugger was originally a third-round selection by the Red Sox from the 2020 draft class. He was having a terrific season at the Triple-A level, slashing .313/.379/.548 with 11 homers and 35 RBI in 252 plate appearances, so the Cardinals will see if he can provide some of the thump that Nolan Gorman was lacking.

So far this season, Jordan has hit .480 with two doubles, three home runs, and eight RBI. The Cardinals have Alec Burleson entrenched at first base, but if Jordan continues to hit, he could push his way into a shot at DH at-bats for a rebuilding Cardinals team.

Fernandez made 32 relief appearances for the Cardinals as a rookie last season and will open the year back in the minors as extra organizational depth. Naughton is one of the more prominent names here as he figures to be an option for St. Louis in middle relief at some point during the year. Jordan is a power-hitting corner infield prospect with some thunder in his bat and could wind up getting a look at some point later this season.