Cardinals call up Thomas Saggese, place Nolan Gorman on injured list

After just six games into the St. Louis Cardinals' season, the Redbirds are already being forced to tinker with their rosters, as they promoted Thomas Saggese from Triple-A Memphis and placed Nolan Gorman on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain.

Gorman appeared to suffer the strain while running the bases in the April 1 game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Saggese hit .253 with 20 home runs in Memphis in 2024 and received a cup of coffee with the Cardinals near the end of the season. With the big league club, Saggese hit only .204 with a .556 OPS, and following the conclusion of the minor league season, the Cardinals sent him to the Arizona Fall League to give him more plate appearances and have him work at second base after he spent most of his innings in Memphis at shortstop.

Saggese's time at second base should serve him well in lieu of Gorman, who was performing well in a very small sample, owning four hits and a home run in eight at-bats. Brendan Donovan should continue to be the everyday second baseman, and, like Gorman, Saggese likely won't see much playing time.

The injury hopefully won't keep Gorman out for an extended period, as he desperately needs to bounce back in 2025 after an abysmal season that saw him strike out at a horrific 37.6% rate and hit only .203. After a demotion in August, Gorman contiued scuffling in Memphis, hitting just .205. Once a top prospect for the Cardinals, Gorman needs to shove in 2025 or risk having Saggese seize his position.

Saggese was never as highly regarded of a prospect as Gorman, and he will almost certainly return to Memphis once Gorman is healthy. But with Gorman's struggles well established, don't be surprised to see Saggese return if Gorman falls on his face once again.

Saggese could also receive a promotion later in the year at the expense of Michael Siani.
Siani seems relegated to a late-inning defensive role, and the Cardinals may soon decide that the 26th roster spot is better spent on a more adept hitter.

Another role for Saggese would be to provide Masyn Winn a breather, as Winn has not performed well in the box thus far, with only one hit in 22 at-bats. The Cardinals currently lack a backup shortstop to Winn, and while Donovan can play there in a pinch, his value comes in his ability to play nearly anywhere on the field.

The Cardinals hold an extremely crowded roster, and Saggese will have a difficult time making it into many games. But the currently defense-oriented Cardinals could soon decide, whether it be through injury to or performance from other players, that their roster will be better with Saggese on it.