Cardinals News: Roster moves involving Jordan Walker, Brandon Crawford, & Luken Baker

The St. Louis Cardinals announced a slew of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon. Jordan Walker was demoted after just a week of playing in the majors, veteran infielder Brandon Crawford was designated for assignment, and first baseman/designated hitter Luken Baker was promoted to the majors. Additionally, Matt Carpenter was activated off the 10-day Injured List.

These moves come after the Cardinals have rattled off an 11-17 record since the All-Star Break. The team has fallen two games below .500, and they're five games out of the final Wild Card spot with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets still ahead of them.

Jordan Walker made just three starts in his latest stint at the majors, and he went 1-11 with three strikeouts, one walk, and just one single. Prior to his promotion last week, Walker was putting on a show in Memphis. It appears as though his most recent stint in St. Louis once again stalled his development offensively.

Luken Baker's promotion isn't much of a surprise, as the right-handed hitter has been mashing left-handed pitching all year at Triple-A Memphis. Baker has a .276/.397/.698 slash line against southpaws in Memphis, and he'll provide a boost to the major league lineup in these situations. The 27-year-old first baseman has mashed 32 home runs this year, 13 of which have come off lefties in just 116 at-bats.

Brandon Crawford's DFA is a bit of a surprise simply for the fact that the Cardinals don't have a true backup shortstop anymore. Crawford was a shell of his former All-Star self this year on the field, but his expertise in the dugout was invaluable according to club sources. Matt Carpenter will fill his role on the roster as a veteran infielder who will provide vital leadership down the stretch

Walker's promotion last week felt questionable at the time, and his demotion just eight days later is even more surprising. The Cardinals' organization once again displayed a lack of understanding with their top prospects, and this decision could prove costly down the stretch for their former top-three prospect in all of baseball.

Time will tell if these late-season roster changes will benefit the team, but they feel rushed as of now. Hopefully, these transactions can help the team make a push for the postseason in the final weeks.