Cardinals Injury Update: Ixan Henderson shut down, Ramon Urias progressing

The St. Louis Cardinals continue their unlikely push to the postseason and have done so despite some concerns in the bullpen and at third base. Not much has been done to quell those concerns, and the news on the pitching front is not what the Cardinals wanted to see from lefty Ixan Henderson.

At third base, Ramon Urias has been on the shelf since the beginning of May, and the veteran had his rehab halted in June before picking it back up in early August. As his rehab assignment timeline nears the deadline for activation, Urias will likely join the major league roster at the end of the month to support the young roster.

Ixan Henderson's season is over as Ramon Urias nears his return to the Cardinals

To start with the bad news, Ixan Henderson had been making his way back from a long-term stay on the IL after suffering a flexor strain during Spring Training. He began his rehab assignment in late July in an attempt to build back up and potentially be a late-season call-up for the Cardinals. Henderson covered 13.2 innings in his five rehab outings, and his most recent showing on August 9 was his best of the year. It would also be his last.

Reported by Jeff Jones, Henderson has been placed on the 60-day minor league injured list, which prevents him from accruing any big-league service time while on the shelf. Bigger than the Cardinals saving a few extra bucks is that Henderson was diagnosed with a left (throwing) elbow strain and does not have a plan of action just yet. An elbow strain does not automatically put surgery on the table, and future testing will clarify just how bad the injury is.

Two arm issues in the same season, especially in the elbow area, likely points to something bigger than a minor strain. The season-ending IL placement should not be looked into too far, as the minor league season wraps up before any rehab plan would even get him back onto the mound before the end of the year. There should be some more follow-up on the severity of his elbow issue in the near future and the best-case scenario would be Ixan returning to full health in time for 2027 Spring Training.

Moving to the other news, Ramon Urias is nearing the end of his allotted 20 days of rehab time in the minors. He restarted his return on August 4 after being placed on the 60-day IL thanks to additional elbow concerns on his other arm. With his deadline to return or be optioned coming up, the Cardinals will have to make a decision on the 32-year-old utility man. He has spent time around the diamond, including at third base and left field, but his return to the majors would be in a bench role.

Urias does not have any minor league options remaining, so he would have to accept a longer stay in Memphis if the Cardinals opt against giving up a big-league roster spot for the veteran. With Jose Fermin and Bryan Torres on the major league bench, I would lean towards the Cardinals hoping they can hold Urias back a little bit further until rosters expand in September.

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