A little more than five years after the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Joshua Báez is getting called to the show, manager Oli Marmol announced. The versatile outfielder will join St. Louis in Chicago on Saturday ahead of the club’s matinee against the Cubs.Báez is expected to slot into the Cardinals’ lineup, though it isn’t immediately clear where or which outfield position he would play. Because he’s not on the 40-man roster, a corresponding move is expected. Fellow outfielder Everson Pereira, who was claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox earlier this month, appears to be a logical candidate.The 23-year-old opened the season as the club’s No. 4-ranked prospect, per The Athletic’s Keith Law, behind National League Rookie of the Year favorite JJ Wetherholt, lefty Liam Doyle and catcher Rainiel Rodriguez.
“He looks like an everyday bat in right field who’ll hit 20-25 homers and get on base at an above-average rate, probably an above-average player if this newfound approach and contact skill holds up over a larger sample and against better pitching,” Law wrote at the time.Following multiple below-average seasons, Báez finally broke out in 2025, crushing 20 home runs across two levels, including 16 at Double A. His collective .884 OPS led him to begin the season with Triple A, where he continued to show the promise that followed him out of high school. Over 103 games, Báez has a .901 OPS, with 34 home runs and 90 RBI.The promotion could provide a major boost to a Cardinals team that threaded the needle at the trade deadline, dealing away impending free agents Dustin May and JoJo Romero to the Milwaukee Brewers in one deal while selling high on Lars Nootbaar to the Arizona Diamondbacks in another.Even still, the Cardinals find themselves in the thick of the NL wild-card race.After Friday’s 3-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis sits 3 1/2 games back of the third and final spot with a 61-61 record, behind the Miami Marlins and Diamondbacks. Beginning with Saturday’s day game, the Cardinals will play 10 games in nine days, all on the road.After visiting Chicago, St. Louis will head to Cincinnati for a four-game set, including one makeup game, against the Reds before three games against the Philadelphia Phillies. At the end of the month, the club will host the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates. Of those five clubs, only the Cubs and Phillies were above .500 as of Friday, putting the Cardinals in a crucial stretch where they can gain ground in the wild-card race.Aug 14, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
