Oli Marmol announces Yadier Molina's long-awaited return to Cardinals dugout

Following his retirement in 2022, Yadier Molina took some time to himself and his family. The future St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer couldn't stay away for too long following his retirement, as he and the Cardinals agreed to a front office role for Molina in December of 2023.

Molina would be an advisor to John Mozeliak in his role. "A little Yadi is still better than no Yadi," said Mozeliak. "He’s going to be a resource for [manager] Oli [Marmol], and he’s going to spend time at the Minor League level. It’s not going to be catching-specific, but that will be his forte. But if he can help pitchers or even spend time with coaches and share his wisdom, that’s the point of this.”

In his role, Molina would assist the on-field staff from time to time, but commitments to family would limit his ability to be a full-time assistant coach.

Molina's time as a special assistant never grew into much. He wasn't seen at games throughout the 2023 season, and the idea of him being an assistant faded quicker than runners on base did during Yadi's playing time.

However, Yadier Molina will appear in uniform on the bench this weekend when the Chicago Cubs come to town.

St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina, at the behest of manager Oliver Marmol, will be in uniform and on the bench this weekend against the Chicago Cubs.

News broke on Friday morning that Yadier Molina will be in the dugout for two games this weekend against the Chicago Cubs. Molina's return to the club came at the request of current manager Oliver Marmol.

"(Yadi) reached out to (Mozeliak) and me, asking what we thought about him being in uniform," Marmol told reporters. "My response was an easy one: Absolutely.

“Anytime you get the chance to have someone like Yadi around your players, you take it,” Marmol continued. “It’s a no-brainer. The experience, the leadership, the presence he brings — it impacts everyone. As soon as I heard he was going to be in town, inviting him to sit next to me was the right move. It’s good for the players, good for the staff, and honestly, it’s great for the fans too.”

This will be the second public appearance for Molina at Busch Stadium following his retirement. His first came during Adam Wainwright's final game when Molina and former first baseman Albert Pujols attended a ceremony for Uncle Charlie.

Molina, a forever Cardinal, played all 2,224 games with the Cardinals. He won nine Gold Gloves and made 10 All-Star teams during his tenure. The Cardinals backstop set the record for the most games caught in MLB history with 2,184, and he and Adam Wainwright hold the record for the most starts as a battery with 328.

Fans have been clamoring for Molina to be the club's next manager. With Chaim Bloom set to take over as president of baseball operations following the 2025 season, a manager change could occur. However, it's possible that Bloom has been satisfied with Marmol's work in the dugout and Oli will get to finish out his contract that expires after the 2026 season.

Yadier Molina is already reportedly getting interest as a manager from several teams throughout the league. While this cameo against the Cubs is far from an audition, consider it a step towards managing for his former (and only) team.

Molina's coaching experience since retirement is lengthy and littered with success. He's set to reprise his role as Team Puerto Rico's manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, it's unknown at this time what Molina's role will be this weekend, but it's reasonable to assume that he'll get in work with the current catching tandem of Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo. Molina, who was a mentor for Ivan Herrera during the 2022 season, has ample expertise and knowledge to bestow on the club's current backstops.

The weekend series against the Chicago Cubs was already set to be a big one. The Cardinals and Cubs boast one of the oldest rivalries in baseball history. With a Cardinal legend set to be in uniform, fans will assuredly pack the place and give Yadier Molina a rousing ovation.