St. Louis Cardinals CF Randal Grichuk Leaves Thursday’s Game with Back Tightness
Randal Grichuk made an early exit during the St. Louis Cardinals’ Thursday meeting with the Colorado Rockies.
The St. Louis Cardinals finally appeared to be turning the corner in terms of depth this week, with shortstop Jhonny Peralta scheduled to go on a rehab assignment, backup catcher Brayan Pena continuing to progress towards a return, and presumptive sixth starter Alex Reyes scheduled to make his debut at Triple-A this weekend following the conclusion of a suspension.
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An obstacle to that progression was potentially created on Thursday night, though, as center fielder Randal Grichuk exited the Cardinals’ game against the Colorado Rockies with back tightness.
Grichuk, who some labeled as a Rookie of the Year contender last season before he suffered an elbow injury in August, hasn’t been as successful in his second full season, hitting just .218 with five homers, 33 strikeouts and 14 walks in 139 plate appearances. He was replaced on Thursday by Jeremy Hazelbaker, who may be in line for playing time in center if Grichuk ends up missing time.
If Grichuk needs to go on the disabled list–which, considering the fact that he’s gone on the DL multiple times with back issues during his pro career, seems to be a strong possibility–the most logical candidate for a recall would be Tommy Pham, who was activated from the DL and optioned to Triple-A earlier this week. Pham hasn’t actually played in a game for Memphis since returning to St. Louis for evaluation at the end of his rehab assignment, so the move would be akin to reversing the demotion.
While he doesn’t have the same raw power that Grichuk does, Pham is nearly as intriguing as a big-league center fielder. Pham, the Cardinals’ Opening Day left fielder this season, hit .268/.347/.477 in 2015, including a September where he hit .322 with four homers and 13 RBI.