Wetherholt Back, but First Base Remains a Problem

JJ Wetherholt has been activated from the injured list and returns to the top of the Cardinals' second base depth chart with 21 games left in a season that has already slipped well out of reach. The activation is a quiet bit of good news for a roster that has been shuffling bodies all year.

The bigger issue sitting underneath it is first base. Blaze Jordan is on the 10-day IL, and the depth chart behind Alec Burleson drops off sharply — Jordan was already a thin backup option, and with him unavailable, Pedro Pagés is the next name on the list at a position where he has logged almost no meaningful time. Burleson has been solid all year at .299 with 12 home runs and 61 RBI in 80 games, but there is essentially no margin if he misses time.

Wetherholt's return at least stabilizes the middle infield, where José Fermín is also listed as day-to-day. That position has enough bodies. First base, heading into the final three weeks, does not.