Jordan Walker lifted from Cardinals spring training game after worrisome injury

The St. Louis Cardinals are entering the dog days of spring training, and the hope throughout the organization is that every player can stay healthy for the regular season when the calendar flips to April. But outfielder Jordan Walker could be the first casualty of the year, as he was removed from the game against the Washington Nationals on March 4 with left knee pain in the third inning after chasing down a fly ball. He also had one plate appearance, striking out.

Walker will undergo further testing, but if the injury is significant and forces Walker to miss substantial time, the Cardinals will need to restructure their planned outfield, as Walker was slated to be the team's everyday right fielder. Alec Burleson, who appears destined for a part-time role at first base, could go back to the outfield while Walker recovers.

Walker's injury could deal a hard blow to the youngster's Cardinals career.

But more significant than the potential Cardinals roster reshuffle is how a major injury would stunt Walker's development in a critical year for the 22-year-old former top prospect. After being shuttled between St. Louis and Triple-A Memphis the past two seasons, 2025 was seen as a sink-or-swim season for him. Walker was enthusiastic to begin the season after working with new hitting coach Brant Brown, saying he had absorbed a lot of valuable information from Brown about how his body works and how to better utilize his lower body in his swing.

Prior to the injury, Walker was hitting .143 in spring training, with eight strikeouts in 14 at-bats. Fans shouldn't be concerned yet about his lack of production in such a small sample size, but were Walker to miss a large number of games this season, he would likely be rusty when coming back, potentially further hindering his development.

Walker is among the most important Cardinals, not just in 2025, but for many years to come. The 2020 first-round pick razed the minor leagues and generated significant buzz from the Cardinals fanbase, and though 2025 is not a season where the Cardinals are expected to compete for a championship, it's a pivotal season for Walker to live up to his potential that he can't afford to miss. Fans will await Walker's test results with bated breath.