Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Hitting from both sides of plate
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that Carlson (ankle) is taking batting practice from both the left and right side of the plate and has resumed a running program, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
The switch-hitting Carlson had previously been limited to batting only from the right side in recent days while he manages a left ankle sprain, but he no longer looks to be inhibited while performing full baseball activities. Carlson will likely increase the intensity of his running program over the next few days before potentially heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment later this week. Once he gets a few minor-league games under his belt and is cleared to return from the 10-day injured list, Carlson should settle back into a regular role in center field, which would likely result in Lars Nootbaar moving back to a corner outfield spot and one of Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson losing out on a near-everyday gig.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Takes batting practice
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Carlson (ankle) took batting practice from the right side of the plate Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
The switch-hitting outfielder will begin taking BP from the left side of the plate within the next few days as he continues his recovery from a left ankle sprain. He seems to be tracking toward a return from the 10-day injured list around the end of May, or maybe the beginning of June. Tyler O'Neill (back) is a little further behind, having only just recently advanced to light swings off a tee. Lars Nootbaar continues to function as the primary center fielder for St. Louis.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Tuesday that Carlson (ankle) will start swinging the bat later this week, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Carlson is doubtful to be activated from the injured list when first eligible Thursday, but he is beginning to make steady progress in his recovery from a left ankle sprain. Lars Nootbaar has been serving as the Cardinals' primary center fielder in his absence.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Officially placed on IL
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St. Louis placed Carlson on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a left ankle sprain.
Carlson suffered the injury in Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox and wasn't making enough progress on the side. The hope is that he could be ready for activation when first eligible next Thursday. Oscar Mercado was called up from Triple-A Memphis to give the Cardinals a bit more outfield depth, though Lars Nootbaar should serve as the Cardinals' primary center field in Carlson's absence. Tyler O'Neill (back) is nearing a return from the IL as well.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Likely headed to injured list
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Carlson (ankle) is likely to be placed on the injured list, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Oscar Mercado has reportedly been promoted and Wednesday is the last day the Cardinals can fully backdate an IL stint for Carlson, so it's not difficult to connect the dots here. Carlson sprained his left ankle Sunday and while he's made improvement, giving him another week off might not be the worst thing. Lars Nootbaar will handle center field while Carlson is out, with Brendan Donovan, Juan Yepez, Alec Burleson and Tommy Edman manning the corners.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Sitting with ankle sprain
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Carlson (ankle) is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Brewers.
Carlson also sat out of Monday's series opener versus Milwaukee after suffering a left ankle sprain in Sunday night's series finale at Fenway Park. Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman will start across the outfield for the Cardinals on Tuesday evening.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Undergoing tests Monday
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Carlson will undergo imaging and have his injured left ankle examined by the doctor Monday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Because the Cardinals were late getting back to St. Louis following a Sunday night game in Boston, Carlson has not had tests on his ankle yet. He's out of the lineup Monday, though, and was walking around the clubhouse "pretty gingerly," per Jones. Carlson is hopeful that his injury remains a day-to-day situation, but more should be known after he's examined.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Idle Monday with ankle sprain
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Carlson (ankle) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Brewers.
With Carlson on the bench for at least one game due to the left ankle sprain he sustained in Sunday's 9-1 win over Boston, Lars Nootbaar will slide over from right field to cover Carlson's usual spot in center. Meanwhile, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol will turn to utility man Brendan Donovan to fill in as the team's right fielder.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Diagnosed with ankle sprain
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Carlson left Sunday's game against the Red Sox with a left ankle sprain, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Carlson twisted his ankle while picking up a hit and had to leave the game an inning later. For now, Carlson should be considered day-to-day, but his status going forward will be determined by the severity of the sprain and how he responds in the coming days.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Leaves with apparent injury
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Carlson left Sunday's game against the Red Sox with an apparent injury, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Carlson appeared to twist his ankle following a hit, and while he initially stayed in the contest he was unable to continue an inning later. Alec Burleson took over in left field with Brendan Donovan shifting to right and Lars Nootbaar moving to center.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Swats second homer
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Carlson went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Tigers.
Just a few days after connecting on his first homer of 2023, Carlson went yard again with a second-inning shot off Spencer Turnbull. The 24-year-old outfielder is seeing consistent work with Tyler O'Neill (back) on the shelf, and Carlson has hits in seven of his last nine starts, but on the season he still has a tepid .234/.286/.364 slash line.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Pops two-run homer
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Carlson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Angels.
The long ball was Carlson's first of the season, and it put the Cardinals ahead 4-3 in the fourth inning. That lead held until Giovanny Gallegos' meltdown in the ninth. Carlson has hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 7-for-22 (.318) with four RBI and three runs scored in that span. He's lifted his slash line to .242/.282/.348 through 71 plate appearances. The switch-hitter doesn't have to keep his bat hot to stay in the lineup while the Cardinals have only four outfielders on the roster, but it would help his cause in the long run.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Makes fifth straight start
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Carlson will start in center field and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Angels.
Carlson is in the lineup for the fifth game in a row and appears to have at least temporarily taken hold of a regular spot in the outfield over Tyler O'Neill, who has now sat out three times -- all against right-handed starting pitchers -- during that stretch. Though Carlson is maintaining an unremarkable .590 OPS for the season, having him in the lineup allows the Cardinals to field their best defensive outfield.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Out of lineup again Friday
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Carlson is absent from the starting lineup Friday versus the Dodgers.
Tyler O'Neill is in left field, Lars Nootbaar is in center and Alec Burleson will cover right in the Cardinals' series opener against the Dodgers and right-hander Dustin May. Carlson has started just one of the Cardinals' last six games and seems to be stuck in a fourth-outfielder role even after Jordan Walker's demotion to Triple-A.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Not in lineup Thursday
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Carlson is out of the lineup Thursday versus the Giants.
Jordan Walker was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, but the Cardinals still have a bit of a logjam in their outfield. Tyler O'Neill is playing left field Thursday with Lars Nootbaar covering center and Alec Burleson handling right.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Out of lineup Friday
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Carlson is not in the starting lineup Friday against the Mariners.
Tyler O'Neill is also sitting. Alec Burleson will play left field, Lars Nootbaar is covering center field and Jordan Walker is in right.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Swipes bag, drives in two
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Carlson went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 14-5 win over the Diamondbacks.
Carlson opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning. He then stole third and scored on an error by catcher Jose Herrera. Carlson added an RBI single in the fifth. The outfielder has gotten a bit lost in the shuffle for playing time, but he's now started two games in a row. The 24-year-old is slashing .237/.293/.316 with three RBI, five runs scored, one steal, three doubles and no home runs through 41 plate appearances. His best path to playing time is in center field against right-handed pitchers, though he's versatile enough to move around the outfield as necessary.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Not in lineup Saturday
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Carlson is not in the lineup Saturday versus the Pirates.
Tyler O'Neill is also on the bench as Lars Nootbaar (thumb) makes his return from the IL and gets the start in center field. It's a tricky playing time mix in the Cardinals outfield at the moment, with five players competing for three spots in the lineup most days.
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Cardinals' Dylan Carlson: Returns to lineup Friday
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Carlson (neck) is back in the Cardinals' lineup Friday against the Pirates.
Carlson missed a handful of games with a pinched nerve in his neck, but he's ready to rock Friday night in St. Louis. The 24-year-old will cover center field and bat eighth with right-hander Johan Oviedo on the mound for the Pirates. Tyler O'Neill is in left.
Carlson (neck) remains out of the lineup Thursday against the Pirates.
Carlson hasn't appeared in a game since feeling a pinch in his neck while making a sliding catch Monday in Colorado, though he is expected to avoid the injured list. Tyler O'Neill will again start in center field and bat seventh Thursday versus the Pirates and right-hander Vince Velasquez.
