St. Louis Cardinals: Which Players Will Join the Roster in September?
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jon Jay, OF
Jay, whose recovery from wrist soreness seems to have conveniently accelerated with the September 1 roster expansion looming, will be looking to show the Cardinals what he can do in what has become a lost 2015 season. Jay had wrist surgery after 2014, and it didn’t really seem like a success this year, as he’s hit for a .223 average after hitting over .300 in three of his first five big-league seasons and never any lower than .276. Jay’s never been much of a power hitter and is rather mediocre as a fielder, so his value has always laid in his ability to make consistent contact. The wrist injury seems to have robbed him of that ability, as he’s dealt with pain while swinging and has spent two separate stints on the disabled list this year. Jay is starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis and is on pace to be activated on September 1, so it should be interesting to see if he can recover his form and perhaps position himself for at least semi-regular playing time in 2016. It will be a tough task for Jay, who is owed just over $6 million next season, now that Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty seem to have surpassed him on the organizational depth chart.