Cardinals' top prospect JJ Wetherholt mysteriously absent from lineups lately

Few prospects are on a rise as meteoric as St. Louis Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt.

The organization's first-round pick from 2024 was seen as one of the draft's best steals when he fell into the Cardinals' lap at seventh overall. Several outlets had him pegged as a potential #1 overall draft candidate, and him falling as far as he did allowed the Cardinals to snag one of the minors' best overall hitters.

Wetherholt started the year off with the club's Double-A affiliate in Springfield. It didn't take the 22-year-old infielder long to leave his mark there, as he was promoted after 62 games. In those 62 games, JJ slashed .300/.425/.466 with seven home runs, 34 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. He walked (44 times) more than he struck out (40 times).

Since being promoted to Triple-A Memphis, Wetherholt has only improved his game. In only 38 games at the highest level in the minors, he has a .322/.418/.597 slash line with nine home runs, 12 doubles, and seven stolen bases. He's struck out 27 times and walked 22 times. His 1.015 OPS is one of the best at Triple-A since his promotion.

Mind you, he's playing against competition that's over four years his senior. This kid is special.

There was always a chance — however slim it was — that JJ Wetherholt would make his debut this year with the Cardinals. However, there's been a bit of a wrinkle over the last week in his promotion.

St. Louis Cardinals' top prospect JJ Wetherholt has now missed the Memphis Redbirds' last four games for an undisclosed reason.

The infielder last played on September 3rd against the Rochester Red Wings. He went an uncharacteristic 0-3 on the night with a strikeout and a walk. His final at-bat came in the seventh inning when he struck out on three straight pitches, another surprising aspect of his absence. Wetherholt was not pulled defensively for the final two innings, and he was a part of a nifty double play in the top of the eighth inning. He was also the final part of a ninth-inning relay play to throw out C.J. Stubbs in the top of the ninth inning.

Since then, the Redbirds have played four games, including one broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network on Thursday night.

Wetherholt has been absent in each of those games.

Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported recently that Wetherholt's absences are likely over. In a post on Twitter/X, Jones quoted a source saying that there is "nothing to share" regarding Wetherholt's absence and that he'll be back in the lineup at the beginning of next week.

MiLB always takes Mondays off, so Wetherholt's next chance to appear in a game will come on Tuesday at Jacksonville.

In a thread on his post, Jones added that Wetherholt could be getting some extra rest due to wear and tear that presents itself throughout the regular season.

The Cardinals have been quiet regarding injuries to their prospects all year. Tekoah Roby received Tommy John surgery, and it took several days for reporters to get wind of it. Other injuries went undisclosed regarding the severity, including those to left-handed pitcher Cooper Hjerpe and Tink Hence early in the year.

It's likely that Wetherholt's four consecutive off days are to prevent smaller injuries from growing into injury-list-worthy wounds. His probable return to the lineup on Tuesday will be a welcome sight for fans.