3 Cardinals players who aren't getting enough playing time

The St. Louis Cardinals have called up top infield prospect Thomas Saggese, but the corresponding move was to demote center fielder Victor Scott II to Triple-A Memphis. Initially, it looked like the Cardinals were punting on the season and giving the youngsters a chance to develop and earn a spot on the roster for next year, but with the news that Scott was headed back to Memphis contradict that notion. With a 0.5% chance to make the postseason according to FanGraphs, it seems less than prudent to make these kinds of moves.

The Cardinals need to prioritize the future and give their young players a shot to develop and prove themselves in the games they have left this season. Here are three Cardinals players who aren't getting enough playing time.

Luken Baker isn't getting enough playing time

In his brief stint back with the Cardinals in 2024, Luken Baker has been fantastic. Of course, it's an extremely small sample size, and the Cardinals would not be wise to pin their future hopes on Baker at first base, but it's extremely promising for his future role as a platoon first baseman or a right-handed bat off the bench next year. In just 20 at-bats, Baker has homered twice and recorded a slash line of .200/.379/.550 for an OPS+ of 156. It'll be hard to find reps for Luken Baker, as Paul Goldschmidt is starting every day at first base, and Alec Burleson is drawing most of the starts at DH with Jordan Walker back with the Cardinals.

However, it may be time to sit Goldschmidt more often and give Baker more chances against right-handed pitching. Luken Baker has already proven himself against lefties, but he has been abysmal against righties. The numbers at the Triple-A level seem to indicate the same pattern, so it would be smarter to platoon him against righties in must-win games, but the Cardinals season is lost. It would be better to see what they have by giving Baker more opportunities.