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The Cardinal Chronicle Church Expected to Hit IL as Cardinals Prepare to Call Up Bryan Torres St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurNathan Church’s steady climb in the Cardinals’ outfield has hit its first real pause.Church, who was scratched from Thursday’s lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates after manager Oliver Marmol said the outfielder was “just a little beat up,” is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a lower-body issue, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.The Cardinals have not yet publicly detailed the exact nature of the injury, but the expectation of an injured list move suggests this is more than a routine day-to-day situation. Church had become a useful piece in St. Louis’ outfield mix, giving the club a left-handed bat, defensive flexibility and enough production to stay in the conversation even as the roster picture tightened.Through 45 games this season, Church has hit .247 with five home runs and 18 RBIs, according to Baseball-Reference. He has not been a finished product at the plate, but he has given the Cardinals real value while working through the normal ups and downs of a young major league outfielder.The corresponding move is expected to be the promotion of Bryan Torres from Triple-A Memphis, giving the 28-year-old outfielder his long-awaited first major league opportunity.Torres is already on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster, which makes the move clean from a roster-management standpoint. The Cardinals selected his contract last November after his strong 2025 season in Memphis, and he opened 2026 back at Triple-A after being optioned during spring training.Torres has continued to make his case the old-fashioned way — by hitting. In Memphis this season, he is batting .336 with 43 hits, two home runs, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases, according to available minor league stats.This is the kind of move that tells two stories at once.For Church, it is an unfortunate setback after earning a legitimate role in St. Louis. He was no longer simply a placeholder or emergency depth piece. He had become part of the daily roster conversation, especially with the Cardinals continuing to sort through their outfield alignment.For Torres, it is the reward for persistence. His road has not been the glossy first-round-prospect route. He has had to earn attention one at-bat at a time, and now, barring a late change, that work is expected to carry him to St. Louis.The Cardinals’ outfield remains a moving target, with Lars Nootbaar still working his way back and Jordan Walker dealing with his own injury concern after being hit on the wrist Wednesday. Church’s expected IL stint only adds another layer to a roster puzzle that was already getting crowded.But for now, the immediate takeaway is simple: Church appears headed for the injured list, and Torres appears headed for his first major league call.Sometimes baseball closes one door for one player and opens another for someone who has been standing in the hallway a long time.The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Church Expected to Hit IL as Cardinals Prepare to Call Up Bryan Torres

The Cardinal Chronicle Pirates Take Rubber Game in 6-2 Win over the Cardinals St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurST. LOUIS — The Cardinals got one swing from Iván Herrera, another late push from Jordan Walker, and not nearly enough in between Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium.Pittsburgh right-hander Braxton Ashcraft matched a career high with nine strikeouts and held St. Louis to one run over seven innings, leading the Pirates to a 6-2 win in the rubber game of the three-game series. The loss gave Pittsburgh the series and left the Cardinals with three losses in their last four games. (Reuters)The Pirates struck first when Brandon Lowe opened the scoring with a solo home run off Dustin May in the first inning. St. Louis answered in the third when Herrera jumped on a first-pitch slider from Ashcraft and sent it into the left-center seats, tying the game at 1-1. (FOX Sports)From there, the game tilted Pittsburgh’s way.The Pirates took the lead for good in the fourth after Konnor Griffin reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, moved to third on a Marcell Ozuna single and scored on Jake Mangum’s forceout. Griffin continued to be a thorn in the Cardinals’ side, extending his hitting streak to eight games and finishing the series 6-for-13. (Reuters)The sixth inning broke it open. Spencer Horwitz walked, Griffin doubled, and Ozuna lined a two-run single to left to make it 4-1. May exited after Mangum followed with another single, ending a start that began with promise but unraveled in the middle innings. May took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven over 5 1/3 innings. (FOX Sports)Pittsburgh added two more in the seventh against Justin Bruihl. Henry Davis led off with a solo homer, snapping an 0-for-16 stretch, and Bryan Reynolds later drove in Oneil Cruz with a groundout to stretch the lead to 6-1. (Reuters)The Cardinals made a little noise in the eighth when Herrera singled, Alec Burleson followed with a base hit, and Walker drove in Herrera with an RBI single. But the inning stalled there, and Pittsburgh closed it out in the ninth. The Pirates finished with 10 hits, while the Cardinals had eight but managed only two runs. (FOX Sports)Ashcraft was the story. The right-hander improved to 3-2, allowing just four hits and one earned run over seven innings. He gave Pittsburgh exactly what it needed after the Pirates had already shut out the Cardinals 7-0 on Wednesday night. Over the final two games of the series, Pittsburgh outscored St. Louis 13-2. (FOX Sports)For the Cardinals, Herrera was the bright spot, going 2-for-4 with his sixth homer and both St. Louis runs scored. Walker’s RBI single gave the Cardinals their only run after the third inning, but the offense again lacked the sustained pressure needed to change the game.The Cardinals opened the series with a 9-6 extra-inning win, but Pittsburgh took the next two games behind strong pitching and timely middle-inning offense. Thursday’s loss was not a blowout like Wednesday’s shutout, but it carried the same concern: St. Louis is not getting enough consistent production from the lineup right now.One swing here and one rally there will not carry a club very far. Not when the other side is stacking innings, stealing bases, taking extra bases and getting seven strong from its starter.The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Pirates Take Rubber Game in 6-2 Win over the Cardinals

The Cardinal Chronicle Bryan Torres Expected to Join Cardinals in Cincinnati After Day of Confusion St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBryan Torres’ road to the big leagues appears to be back on course.After a day of conflicting reports, deleted social media posts and no official club transaction, multiple sources now indicate the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to recall Torres from Triple-A Memphis and have him join the club Friday in Cincinnati.The Cardinals have not formally announced the move, so the transaction remains expected rather than official. But according to Jeff Jones, Torres is in fact being recalled, with outfielder Nathan Church expected to be placed on the injured list. (X (formerly Twitter))For Torres, 28, the call would mark the first Major League opportunity of a long and unlikely professional journey.Earlier Thursday, former Major Leaguer Carlos Baerga posted that Torres was being called up by St. Louis, but the post was later deleted, creating understandable uncertainty around the report. Baerga later issued a correction on Instagram regarding the earlier report. (Roundtable.io Network)Now, the story has shifted again.Torres, a left-handed hitter from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has spent this season at Memphis after being optioned by the Cardinals on March 7 and assigned back to the Redbirds on March 27. St. Louis selected his contract and added him to the 40-man roster on Nov. 6, 2025, protecting him after a strong offensive showing in the upper minors. (MLB.com)This is not the typical prospect promotion story.Torres was originally signed by Milwaukee in 2015 and has taken a winding road through professional baseball, including time in the Brewers and Giants organizations, winter ball and independent baseball before landing with the Cardinals. His profile has never been built around loud power or prospect-list fanfare. It has been built around contact, speed, versatility and a consistent ability to get on base. (MLB.com)Since joining the Cardinals organization, Torres has done the one thing that keeps forcing decisions.He has hit.Torres won Texas League Player of the Month honors in August 2024 while with Springfield, then continued to build his case at Memphis. His 2025 Triple-A season helped push him onto the Cardinals’ 40-man roster, and his start to 2026 kept him in the conversation as St. Louis looked for depth, flexibility and a spark. (MLB.com)Torres brings a useful skill set to a Cardinals club that has already had to manage injuries, lineup movement and bench decisions. He has experience at multiple spots, including the outfield and second base, and his background as a former catcher only adds to the unusual nature of his development path. Baseball Reference lists him with experience at second base, center field and catcher, while MLB currently lists him as an outfielder in the Cardinals system. (Baseball Reference)If the move is finalized, Torres will not arrive as a savior. That is not his game.He arrives as a grinder.He is the kind of player who has had to earn every inch of ground, from rookie ball to independent ball to winter ball to Triple-A. He has had to hit his way past labels, age curves and organizational depth charts. At 28, he is no longer a prospect in the traditional sense, but that may be exactly what makes this story worth telling.Baseball still has room for players who refuse to disappear.The Cardinals’ official transaction will tell the final story, likely tied to the status of Church and the club’s immediate roster needs in Cincinnati. Until then, Torres’ expected promotion should be treated as pending, not finalized.But if the reports hold, Bryan Torres is finally getting the call.And after the road he has traveled, there will be nothing ordinary about his first walk into a Major League clubhouse.Old School TakeSome players are drafted into the spotlight. Others have to keep showing up, keep taking at-bats, keep stealing bases, keep learning new positions and keep proving they belong.Bryan Torres belongs in the second group.This is not a hype story. This is a baseball story. A long road, a left-handed bat, a suitcase full of stops and a player who kept giving the Cardinals reasons not to ignore him. Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

Torres Expected to Join Cardinals in Cincinnati After Day of Confusion

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals-Reds opener postponed; split doubleheader set for Saturday St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurFriday night’s series opener between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park was postponed because of inclement weather, turning what was scheduled as the start of a three-game weekend series into a split doubleheader Saturday.The postponed game will be made up Saturday as the first game of the doubleheader, with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 p.m. Central time. The regularly scheduled Saturday game remains unchanged and is still set for 6:15 p.m. Central time. Fans holding tickets for Friday night’s postponed game may use those same tickets for the makeup game, with no exchange necessary.The rainout adds another layer to an already important NL Central weekend for St. Louis. Instead of opening the series under the lights Friday, the Cardinals will now face a long Saturday in Cincinnati, with two games, two pitching plans and a bullpen management puzzle that could shape the rest of the series.Split doubleheaders are old baseball, and they still have a way of testing a club’s depth. The first game can set the tone. The second game can expose the roster. For a Cardinals team trying to steady itself through a divisional stretch, Saturday now becomes more than just another day on the schedule.The Cardinals will have to navigate the quick turnaround carefully, especially with pitching usage. Any early bullpen strain in the opener could carry over into the nightcap, while a strong start in Game 1 could give St. Louis a chance to play the second game on better footing.There is also the simple matter of rhythm. Rainouts interrupt routines, but contenders handle them. The Cardinals lost Friday night to the weather. Saturday gives them two chances to make sure they do not lose ground in the standings.For more information on rainout policies, fans should visit the Reds’ rainout information page. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future

Cardinals-Reds opener postponed; split doubleheader set for Saturday

The Cardinal Chronicle&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold: Kross, Odle Lead the Friday Farm Heat Check St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurEditor's note - Statistical research and player trend data for this report were provided by MiLBToday.com &nbsp;The Cardinals’ farm system has plenty of movement beneath the surface this week, with several bats forcing attention and a few arms putting together the kind of outings that make player-development people sit a little straighter in their chairs.This is not a prospect ranking. It is a heat check. A weekly look at who is trending up, who is scuffling, and who may be worth watching a little closer as the weekend series unfold.Who’s Hot — Hitters Josh Kross, C, High-A Peoria Kross was the clear headliner among Cardinals minor league hitters, going 11-for-20 over five games with four doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, four walks and only one strikeout. That works out to a .550 average and a massive 1.675 OPS.The Movement: That is not just a hot week. That is a catcher taking over a stretch of games with both contact and damage. The four doubles matter almost as much as the two home runs because they show this was not a one-swing fluke. Kross was driving the baseball consistently.Old School Take: Any time a catcher hits like this, it gets attention because offensive production behind the plate is still a separator. The Cardinals have had plenty of organizational catching depth through the years, but a catcher who can control the strike zone, drive the gaps and occasionally leave the yard gives himself a chance to climb. Kross just put together the kind of week that gets your name circled.Ryan Weingartner, 3B, Single-A Palm Beach Weingartner checked in second among hot hitters, hitting .294 over five games with a double, a triple, a home run, seven RBIs, seven walks, three strikeouts and two stolen bases. His OPS for the stretch was 1.147.The Movement: The batting average does not jump off the page like Kross, but the full line does. Seven walks in five games is real. So are seven RBIs and two steals. That is a player helping in multiple ways, not just piling up empty hits.Old School Take: This is the kind of week that tells you a hitter is seeing the ball well. Weingartner showed patience, run production, power, and enough athleticism to add value on the bases. At the lower levels, that kind of complete offensive week matters because it suggests a player is not just surviving — he is beginning to control at-bats.Jesús Báez, SS, High-A Peoria Báez brought the thunder, going 5-for-18 over four games with three home runs and three RBIs. His .278 average was solid, but the power carried the profile, producing a 1.094 OPS.The Movement: Three home runs in four games will get attention in any league. Báez did not walk much during the stretch, but the impact contact was loud enough to land him among the week’s top three hot hitters.Old School Take: Báez has the kind of raw ability that can change a game quickly. The next step is always consistency — controlling the zone, avoiding chase, and making sure the power does not come with too much swing-and-miss. But when a shortstop starts putting balls over the fence in bunches, you do not ignore it. You watch the next week even closer.Who’s Hot — Pitchers Jacob Odle, RHP, Single-A Palm Beach Odle led the hot pitchers with 10 innings of one-run baseball, allowing seven hits, walking three and striking out 17. He posted a 0.90 ERA and 1.00 WHIP for the stretch.The Movement: Seventeen strikeouts in 10 innings is the headline. Odle did not just get outs. He missed bats at a high rate and kept the ball in the yard, allowing no home runs.Old School Take: Strikeouts are not everything, but they are still the quickest way for a pitcher to announce himself. Odle’s week had the look of an arm starting to separate from the pack. When a young pitcher combines swing-and-miss stuff with limited damage, that is when the development conversation starts to change from “interesting arm” to “keep tracking this one.”Brandt Thompson, RHP, Double-A Springfield Thompson was excellent over nine innings, giving up just three hits and two earned runs while walking two and striking out 14. His WHIP for the stretch was a sparkling 0.56.The Movement: That WHIP tells the story. Thompson was not letting innings get away from him. He limited traffic, threw strikes, and missed enough bats to keep hitters from settling in.Old School Take: Double-A is where numbers start carrying a little more weight. It is the level where hitters punish mistakes and force pitchers to show more than just raw stuff. Thompson’s week was strong because it showed control of the game. Three hits over nine innings at Springfield is not a small note. That is a pitcher doing real work.Blake Aita, RHP, High-A Peoria Aita worked 10 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits, walking one and striking out six. He finished the stretch with a 0.00 ERA and 0.80 WHIP.The Movement: Aita did not post the strikeout total of Odle or Thompson, but the run prevention was perfect. One walk in 10 innings is the key number. He forced hitters to earn their way on base, and they did not do much with the opportunity.Old School Take: There is still a place in this game for pitchers who throw strikes, avoid free passes, and make hitters beat them. Aita’s week was clean, efficient and steady. Not every strong pitching line has to come with fireworks. Sometimes the best report is simple: he filled the zone and nobody scored.Who’s Cold — Hitters Miguel Villarroel, 2B, Triple-A Memphis Villarroel went hitless in six at-bats over two games, striking out four times without a walk.The Concern: Small sample, but the strikeouts stand out. At Triple-A, a short cold spell can happen quickly, especially when a hitter does not get enough plate appearances to work his way out of it.Old School Take: This is not a panic spot. It is a watch spot. Villarroel needs contact and rhythm, and a couple of clean singles can change the feel of a week fast. But when the strikeouts pile up and there are no walks to soften the line, it shows up on the cold board.Ramon Mendoza, 2B, Triple-A Memphis Mendoza went 1-for-12 over three games with no walks, no RBIs and three strikeouts, finishing the stretch with a .083 average and .167 OPS.The Concern: There was not much offensive impact in the line. No extra-base hits, no walks, and no run production made it a quiet week.Old School Take: Every hitter runs into these stretches, especially in Triple-A where pitchers know how to exploit holes. For Mendoza, the next step is simple baseball: get back to controlling the strike zone and finding barrels. A cold week does not define a player, but it does ask for a response.Jose Cordoba, CF, High-A Peoria Cordoba went 1-for-10 over three games with no walks, no RBIs and three strikeouts, though he did add a stolen base.The Concern: The lack of on-base production is the issue. For a center fielder, speed can help, but it only matters if he is getting on base enough to use it.Old School Take: Cordoba’s athleticism gives him a way to contribute even when the bat cools, but the offense has to give him more chances. When a player with speed is sitting at one hit and no walks for the week, the game gets too quiet. The stolen base helps. More traffic would help a whole lot more.Who’s Cold — Pitchers Leonel Sequera, RHP, High-A Peoria Sequera had the roughest line of the week, allowing 20 earned runs over 6.1 innings. He gave up 15 hits, walked seven and allowed five home runs, finishing the stretch with a 28.42 ERA and 3.47 WHIP.The Concern: There is no dressing this one up. The home runs, walks and hits all arrived together, and that is how innings turn into crooked numbers in a hurry.Old School Take: Sometimes the game humbles a pitcher in broad daylight. For Sequera, this is about regrouping, finding the strike zone without catching too much plate, and getting back to a usable rhythm. The stuff may still be there, but the execution has to return quickly.Chris Roycroft, RHP, Triple-A Memphis Roycroft allowed 10 earned runs over 4.2 innings, giving up 13 hits and five walks while striking out three. His ERA for the stretch was 19.29 with a 3.86 WHIP.The Concern: Too many baserunners. At Triple-A, that is dangerous living. Thirteen hits and five walks in fewer than five innings leaves almost no margin for escape.Old School Take: Roycroft has been around enough to know how fast a bullpen line can get ugly. The fix is not complicated, though it may not be easy: get ahead, limit free passes, and make hitters put the ball in play on his terms. Relief pitching is a hard business. One clean week can change the picture, but this one was a rough ride.Braden Davis, LHP, Double-A Springfield Davis allowed nine earned runs over 5.1 innings, walking eight and striking out three. He finished the stretch with a 15.19 ERA and 2.63 WHIP.The Concern: The walks are the issue. Eight free passes in 5.1 innings will sink almost any outing, regardless of stuff.Old School Take: Davis does not need to be perfect. He needs to make hitters earn it. Walks turn singles into rallies and rallies into damage. At Double-A, command separates prospects from projects. This was a step back, but it is also a clear assignment: pound the zone, trust the defense, and stop giving hitters first base for free.Final Word The biggest heat this week came from Josh Kross and Jacob Odle, two players who did more than pad a stat line. Kross hit for average, power and patience. Odle missed bats and controlled damage. Those are the kinds of weeks that make a Friday farm column worth reading.On the cold side, the numbers are not meant to bury anyone. They are part of the long minor league grind. Baseball has a way of exposing players one week and restoring them the next.For the full list of Who's Hot &amp; Who's Gold, go to <a data-mce-href="http://www.MiLBToday.com" href="http://www.MiLBToday.com" title="MiLBToday.com">MiLBToday.com.</a>That is why we check again next Friday. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway SportsEditor’s Note: Statistical research and player trend data for this report were provided by MiLBToday.com &nbsp;Click Here to visit <a data-mce-href="http://www.milbtoday.com" href="http://www.milbtoday.com" title="MiLBToday.com" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">MiLBtoday.com</a> for daily minor league coverage, morning reports, and prospect tracking.

Kross, Odle Lead the Friday Farm Temp Check

Cardinal Chronicle Pete Hansen Delivers Five Scoreless Frames for Memphis St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurPete Hansen did not need a big cushion Thursday afternoon.He did not get one, either.The Memphis left-hander earns Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day honors after working five scoreless innings in the Redbirds’ 1-0 win over Iowa at Principal Park. In a game where one mistake could have flipped the afternoon, Hansen gave Memphis exactly what it needed — clean innings, command, and a chance to win a tight road game.Hansen earned his first career Triple-A victory, allowing just two hits over five scoreless innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out six, setting the tone for a Memphis staff that blanked Iowa and helped the Redbirds take the series lead during their road trip.That line matters because of the scoreboard. Pitching with a lead is one thing. Pitching in a game where the offense gives you almost nothing is another. Memphis scored its lone run on Leo Bernal’s sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, meaning Hansen’s five innings came with no margin for comfort.Max Rajcic finished the job with his team-leading fifth save, lowering his ERA to 1.82, but Hansen set the table. He worked ahead, avoided free passes and gave the Redbirds the kind of start that lets a club win even when the bats are quiet.That is real pitching.Not fancy. Not loud. Just five zeroes in a one-run win.Old School TakeThere is still something beautiful about a 1-0 win when your starter gives you five shutout innings and does not walk anybody. Hansen did not try to win the game by himself. He simply controlled what he could control, handed the ball off with the game still clean, and let the bullpen finish it. That is professional pitching, and Thursday afternoon it was enough to carry Memphis.The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Pete Hansen Delivers Five Scoreless Frames for Memphis

The Cardinal Chronicle 

The Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

Ray Mileur, Publisher

The Cardinal Notebook

Church Expected to Hit IL as Cardinals Prepare to Call Up...

Pirates Take Rubber Game in 6-2 Win over the Cardinals

Torres Expected to Join Cardinals in Cincinnati After Day...

Cardinals-Reds opener postponed; split doubleheader set f...

Kross, Odle Lead the Friday Farm Temp Check

Pete Hansen Delivers Five Scoreless Frames for Memphis