Jon Jay injury shifts around Cardinals lineup

Cardinals not hurt by Jon Jay injury

Earlier this week, the St. Louis Cardinals outfield took a hit when a left wrist injury sent Jon Jay to the 15-day disabled list.

In earlier seasons this may have been a disaster in the making. This time around, the Cardinals may have enough depth to withstand the blow to the lineup.

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Jay had gotten off to a halfway decent start for the team with a .248 batting average in the first 30 games. He has never really displayed much home run power, with a high of 10 homers in 2011, and his speed has declined considerably from the 19 stolen bases Jay posted in 2012.

Where he has helped the team is consistency. Jay had a .300 average or more in three of his first five seasons, so even though Jay won’t be out for a long-term stretch the team will miss his bat.

Or will it?

This is where the depth comes into play. Before this season Cardinals fans might have groaned because an injury to Jay meant more playing time for Peter Bourjos.

This is not the Bourjos that the Cardinals picked up before the 2014 season, only to see him fall flat on his face for most of the campaign. Bourjos has a healthy .264 batting average and can supplant Jay for a longer stretch.

Then there are two other options which weren’t around for most of last year. Randal Grichuk is back from the disabled list and doesn’t have much of a sample size, but he can hit the ball for power as needed. Then there is Xavier Scruggs, whom many suspect will take some playing time away from players like Matt Adams if he continues to struggle.

So far, it appears as if the Cardinals are built for the long haul. The disastrous exit of Adam Wainwright following an Achilles injury had some predicting doom, gloom and absolute terror for St. Louis. It didn’t happen.

With any luck, Jay will be back soon and the team will have another option, either to start or to play off the bench.

Next: Taking a look at the struggles of Cardinals' Matt Adams