St. Louis Cardinals Promote Catcher Cody Stanley to MLB While Placing Adam Wainwright on DL
With starting pitcher Adam Wainwright’s presumably season-ending Achilles injury requiring the St. Louis Cardinals to place him on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday, the team quickly took advantage of the open roster spot and recalled catcher Cody Stanley from Triple-A Memphis. Stanley will provide extra protection at the catcher position as Tony Cruz starts there for the second straight day following a knee injury that he suffered during Friday’s game.
The 26-year-old Stanley will be making his first appearance in the big leagues. He’s already the fourth catcher to be part of the Cardinals’ major-league roster this season, as Ed Easley was recalled for a weekend earlier this month as Cruz left the team to attend his child’s birth in Florida.
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Neither Easley or Stanley has been exceptionally successful at the plate so far this year at Memphis. The righthanded-hitting Easley is hitting .250/.340/.318 with a homer in 44 at-bats, while Stanley, his platoon partner, is hitting .216/.298/.333 with two homers in 51 at-bats. Stanley is seen as the more legitimate prospect going forward (ranked as the Cards’ 24th-best prospect by MLB.com) and he provides some extra value as a lefthanded hitter. He’ll probably only be around until the Cardinals recall a starter to replace Wainwright in a few days, but it’s good for the team to get his feet wet in the majors so he’s a bit more accustomed to the routine if he’s needed again later this summer.
Unfortunately, it must be noted with any happening that involves Stanley that he was suspended in March of 2012 for a performance-enhancing drug violation. By all accounts, he was very proactive about apologizing for the embarrassing incident, which apparently occurred because he took an over-the-counter energy supplement without properly researching it. Still, the suspension will be something that will likely cloud over Stanley’s reputation for the remainder of his career.
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