Bryan

Torres

Wetherholt underwent imaging Friday that came back clean after he missed two games with groin soreness, which qualifies as a positive development for the Cardinals and fantasy managers. The 23-year-old rookie appears likely to return in the near future, possibly as soon as Sunday’s series finale at Busch Stadium. Fellow rookie Bryan Torres draws another start at the keystone with Masyn Winn moving up to the leadoff spot.

Wetherholt was given what was thought to be a routine day off on Wednesday, but he’s actually battling a lower body injury. He’s considered day-to-day. Bryan Torres will start in his place at second base and will bat fifth for the Cardinals against Brady Singer and the Reds.

Torres made quite a statement in his big-league debut following 11 seasons in the minors between three different organizations. The 28-year-old journeyman collected his first career hit with a single to right field against Reds starter Chris Paddack in the third inning before taking reliever Jose Franco deep in the ninth inning for his first home run.

Torres gets a look in left field for his major-league debut after being called up from Triple-A Memphis prior to Friday’s rainout with Nathan Church (shoulder) hitting the shelf. The 28-year-old offers some defensive versatility in a bench role after .336/.454/.477 with two homers and 10 steals across 36 games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season.

Torres has been playing second base and the outfield for Triple-A Memphis this season. Nathan Church was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain as a corresponding move. Church had been a regular in the outfield for St. Louis, so there’s playing time available. José Fermín drew the start in left field on Thursday, a game Church missed.

The Cardinals are in need of an extra outfielder with Nathan Church expected to land on the injured list with an undisclosed issue. It’s the first trip to the big leagues for the 28-year-old outfielder. Torres has hit .336/.454/.477 with a pair of homers and 16 RBI in 166 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season.

Hence is not long removed from being an upper-echelon prospect, but he was limited to just 21 innings due to injury in 2025. Bernal is one of the top catching prospects in baseball but likely is a couple years away from making his debut.

The move prevents Torres from becoming a minor league free agent and protects him from being gobbled up in next month’s Rule 5 Draft. The 28-year-old has spent time at both the keystone and outfield in recent years. He batted 328/.441/.464 with nine homers and 26 steals in 104 games for Triple-A Memphis this past season.