Don’t Expect Peter Bourjos in Memphis anytime soon

Don’t expect St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Peter Bourjos to be playing for the Memphis Redbirds anytime soon even though he desperately needs the at-bats.
Apr 13, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Peter Bourjos (8) makes a catch against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 6-4. Image Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Bourjos continues to struggle at the plate. The outfielder has gone hitless in his past 15 at-bats. The sample size really isn’t much given how many days the appearances are spread. It’s hard to get into a rhythm when a player is not being given a chance at all.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny continues to go with Jon Jay as a regular. Jay is right back where he was before his 3-hit game against the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .256 on the season.

Matt Adams and Yadier Molina continue to be the two players that keep hitting for the Cardinals. They did so again on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.

But Bourjos? He needs the at-bats but Matheny is not about to demote him to Memphis, even though there’s sure to be more playing time in AAA than in the majors. St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold asked the Cardinals manager if the lack of playing time for Bourjos, whose role with the Cardinals has been recast as the first month of the season came to an end, meant a trip to Memphis.

"Matheny said no. He said it tersely.“That hasn’t been a topic of conversation,” he explained."

Bourjos is good enough to stay with the Cardinals but not good enough to be a regular starter? I don’t get this.

While the Bourjos/Jay question will be never-ending throughout the month of May, the other question is: When will Oscar Taveras arrive?

It won’t be this month…at least that’s the impression I get from Matheny’s comments in a Derrick Goold column.

"“Oscar is checking off all of the boxes,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Friday. “He’s doing everything he can do right now. … They’re just trying to keep him going not knowing what it would look like up here.“Some outfielders are doing a pretty good job (in the majors). Knowing there probably wouldn’t be an extended amount of playing time as far as everyday goes. For him, just keep going. Keep progressing forward.”"

Some outfielders? Is he watching the same games we are?