Cardinals shake up infield with Gorman recall, Winn expected IL move

The St. Louis Cardinals are recalling infielder Nolan Gorman from Triple-A Memphis, a move that comes as the team reportedly expects to place starting shortstop Masyn Winn on the injured list. The transaction was first reported by Belleville News-Democrat Cardinals reporter Jeff Jones, who wrote on Bluesky that the Cardinals were calling up Gorman ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, with Winn's IL placement as the corresponding move.

Winn suffered a thumb injury during the Cardinals' 3-0 win against the Cincinnati Reds on August 18 and subsequently missed Saturday's and Sunday's losses to the Philadelphia Phillies, a series that ended in a sweep for St. Louis. The shortstop has struggled at the plate this season, posting five home runs, 51 RBIs, and a .238/.314/.326 slash line across 490 plate appearances in 122 games. Defensively, he has recorded 1.5 defensive WAR and a .984 fielding percentage, and he is third on the team with 10 stolen bases.

Gorman's path back to the majors

Gorman, the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2018 (19th overall), made his MLB debut on May 20, 2022, and showed promise as a rookie with 14 home runs in 89 games. He had his best campaign in 2023, hitting 27 home runs with 76 RBIs and a .236/.328/.478 slash line in 464 plate appearances, though he also finished second on the team with 148 strikeouts. He followed with 19 home runs in 2024 and 14 in 2025, but his on-base percentage dipped below .300 in both seasons.

The Cardinals sent Gorman to Triple-A on June 12 after he recorded career lows in batting average (.194), slugging percentage (.318), and OPS (.598) in 229 plate appearances. During his time in the minors, the team worked on his approach and mechanics, tweaking his batting stance and swing. The adjustments have shown results in August, where Gorman has hit seven home runs with a .903 OPS, though his strikeout rate remains high at 37.8 percent for the month.

Additional moves and notes

The Rays promoted catcher prospect Caden Bodine to Triple-A Durham. Bodine, who is ranked 51st on MLB Pipeline's prospect list, came to Tampa Bay as part of the Shane Baz trade. He has played at three levels this season, hitting .316/.397/.447 with five home runs, 33 RBIs, and four steals in 37 games at Double-A. Bodine was considered one of the best pitch framers in the 2025 draft.

In Milwaukee, Brewers relievers Abner Uribe (elbow) and JoJo Romero (appendectomy) are set to begin rehab assignments at High-A Wisconsin on Tuesday. Uribe was diagnosed with a flexor strain on August 14, while Romero underwent an emergency appendectomy in mid-July.

For the Cubs, left-hander Justin Steele told The Athletic's Patrick Mooney that he "absolutely expects to pitch for the Chicago Cubs this year," despite undergoing elbow surgery in April 2025 and dealing with a flexor strain earlier this season. Steele has begun facing hitters this week, though manager Craig Counsell cautioned, "We're not going to skip steps. He rightfully should be (focused on returning this season), but we have a lot of steps to go before we get there."

Around the league

The Giants' Carson Whisenhunt is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday after leaving his start Monday against the Reds with elbow pain. Whisenhunt said the pain felt different from the elbow sprain that cost him the final two months of 2023, adding, "[I've] never really felt anything like this. I don't really know kind of where to be at with it. So just kind of play it by ear and get the MRI tomorrow and then go from there." The Giants could recall Matt Wilkinson if Whisenhunt lands on the injured list.

In Pittsburgh, Nick Gonzales went 2-for-5 and drove in the game-winning run in the 12th inning as the Pirates defeated the Padres 3-2. Gonzales's hit was the only run in three extra innings. He also walked and stole a base and is fourth in the majors with a .308 batting average. Braxton Ashcraft limited the Padres to one run over six innings in a no-decision, losing the shutout on a balk. Ashcraft now has thrown 39 more innings than his previous career high and has allowed exactly one run in three straight starts. He is in line to face the Cardinals on Sunday. Yohan Ramírez struck out the side in the 12th for his second save, though he had given up five runs in three innings since returning from the paternity list.