Cardinals' center fielder Michael Siani goes down with "moderate" injury

Michael Siani has been a breath of fresh air for the St. Louis Cardinals this year. When Tommy Edman's return to health was unsure at the beginning of the season and Dylan Carlson was injured, Siani stepped up to fill the void in center field for the team.

Once a waiver claim by the Cardinals in 2023, Siani entrenched himself as the team's starting center fielder this year thanks to Gold Glove-caliber defense and speed that ranked near the top of the charts. All of this positive momentum came to a halt on Saturday when the left-handed hitter went down with an oblique strain. He was placed on the 10-day Injured List, and the promotion of outfielder Victor Scott II was the corresponding move.

While he's primarily known for his defense, Siani's offense was starting to turn a corner over the last two weeks of baseball. He had been slashing .412/.460/.441 over the last 14 days of play, and his two stolen bases in the span are indicative of his speed. The team will now be without their biggest surprise player of the year for multiple weeks due to the oblique injury.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Michael Siani's oblique strain was deemed "moderate". The Cardinals have ample backup with the call-up of prospect Victor Scott II. Lars Nootbaar will see a bit of time in center, and even newcomer -- and old friend -- Tommy Pham being able to play center in a pinch.

The Cardinals have a history of players with oblique injuries this year alone; Matt Carpenter missed about six weeks with an oblique injury to start the season, and Lars Nootbaar was out from May 31st until July 8th with a similar ailment. Oblique injuries can be touch-and-go, so the Cardinals will keep a close eye on his recovery over the next few weeks. Siani could return in as quick as four weeks, but he could just as easily miss the rest of the year should his recovery falter or stall at any point.

While Victor Scott II boasts a similar profile to Michael Siani, the fact that Siani was beginning to put together an impressive offense stretch hurts all the more. Scott II isn't known for his offense, and his showing at the beginning of the year proved that his promotion was premature. Things could go differently this time around, and we are guaranteed plus defense in center still, but Michael Siani will be missed by the team during his stint on the IL.