2 Cardinals prospects who could be called up once rosters expand in September

OF Matt Koperniak

Another left-handed outfielder! Yay!

In all seriousness, Matt Koperniak has a high probability of being added to the roster once it expands in September. Even if Victor Scott II and Brendan Donovan return in the month, Koperniak is still a logical candidate to be promoted. He could simply replace Garrett Hampson on the roster.

After a fantastic spring training, Koperniak has been unable to impress during the regular season. He is slashing .247/.307/.393 on the year for a .700 OPS. He has hit 13 home runs, driven in 53 runners, and stolen seven bases. He's taken a step back from his previous three seasons, where his lowest OPS was .799.

He's been on a bit of a heater over the last 28 days, slashing .284/.348/.432. He's also hit three home runs in the month of August to go along with 11 RBIs. While those aren't exceptional numbers for a 27-year-old outfielder in Triple-A, they're certainly better than whatever Garrett Hampson has been doing in the majors so far.

Subtracting Hampson and adding Koperniak would give the Cardinals five out of six outfielders (Koperniak, Alec Burleson, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Victor Scott II) who bat left-handed; this isn't ideal for a manager to balance and handle. However, Koperniak is probably a superior player compared to Hampson at this point, and the Cardinals can at least say they're using the final month to give Koperniak meaningful at-bats after being added to the 40-man roster last year.

Koperniak's presence on the 40-man roster makes this a seamless move for the organization. They won't have to make any corresponding moves, and they'll maintain flexibility this winter, something John Mozeliak has made clear as a goal for Chaim Bloom.

Promoting Matt Koperniak once rosters expand is by no means a sexy or exciting move; it's probably the equivalent of moving the deck chairs on the Titanic. However, it's a move that could lead to some clarity regarding the 40-man roster this winter. It also gives Koperniak, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020, a chance to achieve his goal of playing in the majors.