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St. Louis Cardinals Recall Kolten Wong from Triple-A, Option Jeremy Hazelbaker

By Patrick Karraker

May 30, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong (16) hits a single in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong (16) hits a single in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
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The St. Louis Cardinals quickly decided that Kolten Wong deserves to be back in the major leagues.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Friday morning that Kolten Wong has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis, while Jeremy Hazelbaker has been optioned to Memphis to open up a roster spot.

Wong, who had played exclusively at second base as a pro prior to his demotion, played three games in center field with Memphis, and that figures to be the spot where he’ll see the most action in his return to the Cardinals. Wong will likely take any playing time that may have been left over for Randal Grichuk, who’s hitting .209/.279/.398 with eight homers this year. He’s particularly slumped as of late and is hitting .125 with an OPS of .503 in June. The Cardinals have started Stephen Piscotty in center field with Brandon Moss in right for the past few games, but it figures that Wong will get some action there in the next few games.

Hazelbaker heads back to Triple-A after two-and-a-half months in the major leagues. The 28-year-old rookie had a fantastic start to the season, hitting .317/.357/.683 with five homers and 13 RBI in April. He’s cooled down substantially since then, though, as he’s hit .180 in May and June. Hazelbaker had two home runs in May, including his team-leading third pinch-hit homer of the season, but he’s been held without a homer in 10 at-bats during June. A strong argument could be made that Hazelbaker was both the Cardinals’ most effective late-game defensive replacement and their best pinch runner, so it will be interesting to see who is utilized in those roles going forward.

Wong makes it back just in time for tonight’s Kolten Wong Hawaiian Print jersey night at Busch Stadium. Memphis fans, however, may be upset that Wong won’t be around for a similar celebration that had been scheduled for Saturday.

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