St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been dealing with a knee injury. On Friday, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol gave an update on Walker’s condition, as reported by Katie Woo of The Athletic.
Marmol mentioned that Walker (who is dealing with left knee inflammation) has responded “really well” to treatment, and the team hopes he will be back in spring training games starting on Saturday.
If all goes well without any setbacks, Walker could return soon, though an exact return date has not been officially set. Saturday is reportedly a potential target.
The 22-year-old Walker was once considered a top prospect, and the Cardinals still believe in his potential. Although he hasn’t yet met expectations in 168 MLB games, he’s still young.
In 2023, Walker played 117 games, hitting .276 with a .787 OPS, marking a solid start to his MLB career. Many believed 2024 would be his breakout year, but he played just 51 games and struggled, hitting .201 with a .619 OPS.
Overall, Walker holds a .255/.317/.423/.740 career slash line, which shows promise but is not extraordinary. If he can stay healthy in 2024, there’s hope that he can take a significant step forward in his career.
Right now, Walker is focused on returning to the lineup as soon as possible. If he is ready to go on Saturday, it would give him plenty of time to get ready for the 2025 regular season.
The Cardinals are set to face the Toronto Blue Jays in a spring training game on Saturday afternoon in Florida, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 PM EST.