Cardinals activate Matt Carpenter, release Brandon Crawford

The St. Louis Cardinals activated designated hitter/infielder Matt Carpenter from the 10-day injured list and granted infielder Brandon Crawford his unconditional release on Tuesday.

The Cardinals also optioned former top outfield prospect Jordan Walker to Triple-A Memphis and recalled infielder Luken Baker from Memphis.

Carpenter, 38, returned to the club where he spent most of his career this winter as a free agent. In 42 games he has batted .255 with three homers and 11 RBIs, but he hasn't played since Aug. 7 due to a lower back strain.

In 14 MLB seasons with the Cardinals (2011-21, 2024), New York Yankees (2022) and San Diego Padres (2023), Carpenter has hit .259 with 178 home runs and 655 RBIs across 1,494 games. He was a three-time All-Star (2013, 2014, 2016).

A fellow MLB veteran, the 37-year-old Crawford played in just 28 games in his first season with St. Louis after 13 years with the San Francisco Giants. He was batting just .169 with one home run and four RBIs for the Cardinals and last appeared Aug. 10.

Walker, 22, spent a week with the big-league club after being recalled when Carpenter was placed on the IL. He began the season with the Cardinals but struggled to produce at the plate, and in four games in August he was just 1-for-11 (.091) with one walk.

After batting .276 in 117 games as a rookie in 2023, with 16 homers and 51 RBIs, Walker has batted a mere .145 with four doubles and four RBIs in 24 major league appearances in 2024.

Baker, 27, made his MLB debut for the Cardinals last season and batted .209 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 33 games. He has yet to play at the major league level this season. At Memphis, he was hitting .231 with 32 home runs and 79 RBIs in 108 games.

--Field Level Media