The Cardinals officially brought Ramon Urias back August 23, ending a rehab saga that started way back on May 5, when he first landed on the 10-day IL with lateral epicondylitis in his right elbow. What looked like a short absence turned into a summer-long grind after a June rehab assignment got scrapped just 2 games in when he came down with a similar issue in the other elbow.
To make room, St. Louis flipped Everson Pereira to the 10-day IL with a bruised left hand, the corresponding move that opened up the active roster spot. It's a classic August shuffle for a club still trying to figure out its infield mix down the stretch.
Urias wasn't exactly raking before the injury hit, batting.158/.279/.316 in his limited time up with the big club, and his numbers at Triple-A Memphis during the failed rehab stint weren't much better --.184/.231/.327 with a 32.7% strikeout rate over 52 plate appearances. Nobody's penciling him in as a middle-of-the-order threat here.
Realistically, this is a depth move more than a difference-maker addition. With St. Louis's infield already stocked, Urias projects as a backup and late-inning defensive option rather than an everyday starter -- but after nearly 4 months on the shelf, just getting a healthy body back into the mix counts for something.
The Cardinals will keep monitoring both elbows as he gets back into game reps, and how much he actually plays down the stretch will say a lot about how much they trust the health to hold up.