St. Louis Cardinals Send Former No. 1 Prospect to Minors

He came up as one of the team's top prospects, and in fact was the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 1 prospect on its 2021 midseason rankings. But despite a 60-home run barrage in about two full seasons of work, Nolan Gorman has struggled to make contact on a consistent basis. This year, he was hitting .203 with a .671 OPS, and now, has been optioned back to the minors for the first time since 2022.

News: Cardinals option Nolan Gorman to Triple-A Memphis. Jose Fermin recalled.@MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 21, 2024

Gorman heads to Triple-A Memphis, with his 19 homers and 50 RBIs with an OPS+ 15% worse than the average major league hitter, at 85.

It's been a frustrating season for the former top prospect, as he's racked up an unsightly 151 strikeouts in just 107 games. His OPS this month stood at .508 and he hasn't homered in 30 days.

This move comes after another former top Cardinals prospect, Jordan Walker, was also sent back down to the minors this week. He was only up with the big club for one week.

The Cardinals are trying everything to shake up their lineup, as they have lost 12 of their 17 games in August and enter play Wednesday having fallen to six games out of a playoff spot.

Utility infielder José Fermín was recalled as the corresponding move, while Brendan Donovan, will likely see most of his playing time at second or third moving forward.