The St. Louis Cardinals have received a potentially encouraging development regarding rookie standout JJ Wetherholt, whose promising first full Major League season was interrupted by a right wrist injury. While the young infielder remains on the 10-day injured list, the latest information suggests the Cardinals do not believe the injury will end his season, giving the club hope that one of its most important young players can return before the regular season concludes.
Wetherholt was placed on the injured list on Aug. 30 after dealing with right wrist tendinitis that had gradually become more difficult to manage. The 23-year-old had reportedly been playing through discomfort for roughly a month, but the pain intensified during the final days before the Cardinals decided that shutting him down was the best course of action. Manager Oliver Marmol indicated that the organization had reached the point where continuing to play through the problem was no longer productive.
The good news for St. Louis is that there is no current indication that Wetherholt’s season is over. Marmol previously said the Cardinals believe their young infielder will play again this year. Because Wetherholt was placed on the 10-day IL on Aug. 30, Sept. 9 is the earliest possible activation date, assuming his recovery progresses as hoped.
There is another encouraging development surrounding the injury. Wetherholt sought a second medical opinion in Arizona, and the diagnosis of wrist tendinitis was confirmed. He was subsequently prescribed an anti-inflammatory injection, with the Cardinals planning to give the treatment roughly 72 hours before evaluating how his hand and wrist respond. That approach gives the club an opportunity to determine whether rest and treatment can calm the inflammation without requiring a much longer shutdown.
That distinction is extremely important for the Cardinals. St. Louis is trying to remain competitive during the final month of the regular season, and Wetherholt has quickly become one of the team’s most valuable all-around players. His absence removes a productive left-handed bat from the lineup while also taking away one of the organization’s best defensive performers.
Wetherholt entered the season with enormous expectations after being selected seventh overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and establishing himself as one of baseball’s premier prospects. Rather than requiring significant adjustment time in the majors, he immediately demonstrated that he could handle the competition. His performance eventually earned him an eight-year, $112.5 million contract extension in July, an extraordinary commitment to a player who is still in his early 20s.
Before the injury, Wetherholt had appeared in 130 games, batting .242 with a .343 on-base percentage, 17 home runs and 48 RBIs. He also had 14 stolen bases, giving St. Louis a player capable of contributing in multiple areas rather than relying exclusively on his offense.
His defensive impact has arguably been even more impressive. According to FanGraphs, Wetherholt had accumulated 4.4 WAR, placing him among the most valuable players in the majors. His +22 Outs Above Average ranked third in MLB behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong, while his Fielding Run Value was also among the league leaders.
The timing of the injury was particularly unfortunate because Wetherholt was already carrying additional defensive responsibilities. With Gold Glove-winning shortstop Masyn Winn sidelined, Wetherholt had been filling in at shortstop in addition to his regular duties at second base. The increased workload came while he was already attempting to manage the wrist discomfort.
His offensive numbers also declined during August as the wrist problem worsened. Wetherholt hit only .200 with a .595 OPS during the month, a noticeable drop from the production he had delivered earlier in the season. That decline gives the Cardinals another reason to believe that allowing him to rest could ultimately benefit both his health and his performance once he returns.
The Cardinals have responded to his absence by recalling César Prieto from Triple-A Memphis. Prieto gives Marmol another infield option while Wetherholt recovers, although replacing Wetherholt’s overall defensive and offensive value is a much more difficult task. Prieto had struggled during an earlier Major League stint but was hitting .308 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs over 79 games in Triple-A.
Wetherholt’s injury also comes at a difficult point for the Cardinals, who have dealt with a significant number of injuries during the second half. The club lost another game to Pittsburgh on Aug. 30, falling 5-4 and dropping seven of its previous nine games. At that point, St. Louis was still chasing the National League Wild Card picture, making every game increasingly important.
Still, the Cardinals have demonstrated that they can produce offensively without their young star. St. Louis erupted for 13 runs against the Dodgers on Sept. 1, showing that the lineup has enough firepower to remain dangerous while Wetherholt is recovering. Nevertheless, adding him back to the lineup would significantly strengthen the club’s chances of making a late push.
There is also a personal milestone at stake for Wetherholt. His rookie campaign had placed him in the National League Rookie of the Year conversation, and he was attempting to become the Cardinals’ first NL Rookie of the Year winner since Albert Pujols in 2001. The wrist injury and resulting time away could hurt those chances, particularly with Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart emerging as a leading candidate.
For the Cardinals, however, the Rookie of the Year race is secondary to Wetherholt’s long-term health. The organization invested heavily in him with the eight-year extension because it views him as a foundational player. Rushing him back simply to improve the team’s immediate postseason chances would make little sense if the wrist has not fully responded to treatment.
The latest update therefore provides cautious optimism rather than a guarantee. Wetherholt still needs to respond positively to treatment and progress toward baseball activities before the Cardinals can determine an exact return date. But the confirmation that his diagnosis is manageable and that the club expects him to play again this season is unquestionably better news than the alternative.
For Cardinals fans, the message is simple: JJ Wetherholt is not being written off for the season. If the anti-inflammatory treatment works and his wrist responds as hoped, St. Louis could have its young cornerstone back on the field during the final weeks of the 2026 campaign.
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