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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-joins-4-active-players-400th-career-double');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals star Nolan Arenado joins just 4 other active players with 400th career double');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nolan-Arenado-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Cardinals star Nolan Arenado joins just 4 other active players with 400th career double</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T15:14:07-07:00">June 29th, 3:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T15:14:07-07:00">June 29th, 3:14pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nolan Arenado <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-7th-player-mlb-history-accomplish-feat">continues to etch his name alongside baseball’s modern greats.</a> On Sunday in Cleveland, the Cardinals third baseman recorded not one but <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/nolan-arenado-jams-finger-after-logging-1-900th-career-hit" rel="noopener">two major career milestones</a> in a dominant 7-0 win over the Guardians.</p><p>Arenado, 33, notched his 1,900th career hit in the third inning before ripping his 400th career double in the sixth. The latter puts him in elite company—<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/yankees-news-paul-goldschmidt-about-how-hes-hurting-ny">just five active players have reached the 400-double mark</a>: Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew McCutchen, Freddie Freeman, Jose Altuve, and now Arenado.</p><p>“To be amongst those guys, it’s an amazing feeling, because they are some of the best in this game and some of the best to ever play,” Arenado said postgame. “It’s an honor to be up there with my boy [Goldschmidt], because he’s like a big brother.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Having notched the 1,900th career hit of his career earlier today, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STLCards</a> star 3B Nolan Arenado just registered his 400th career double (plus an E9). He joins Paul Goldschmidt, Andrew McCutchen, Freddie Freeman and Jose Altuve and the only active players with 400 doubles. <a href="https://t.co/mpry9Dowy8">pic.twitter.com/mpry9Dowy8</a></p><p>— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnDenton555/status/1939377914396451216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Arenado’s double came on a line drive down the right-field line. Guardians right fielder Johnathan Rodríguez misplayed the ball, allowing Arenado to reach third on an error. The milestone was one more highlight in a stellar day for the Cardinals, who completed a three-game sweep of the Guardians and secured their 10th win in their last 13 contests.</p><h2><b>Nolan Arenado leaves early in Cardinals-Guardians contest</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nolan-Arenado-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>But the celebratory moment was briefly soured when Arenado exited in the eighth inning due to swelling in his right index finger. He appeared to jam it during an awkward stumble at first base earlier in the game. Despite the scare, Arenado remained optimistic.</p><p>“[The index finger] is a little swollen, and it’s kind of random,” he explained. “It’s OK now after we did some treatment. But it did get stiff as the game went on.”</p><p>He joked about the injury, blaming it on his lack of speed: “I think I misstepped a little early. I’m a little slow, and I try to get the front of the bag because that’s my only chance [of being safe] and I almost missed [first base].”</p><p>The eight-time All-Star raised his batting average to .249 with two hits in the win, continuing to contribute in what’s been a steady, if not flashy, season. While his slugging may not be at MVP levels, his leadership and consistent production remain vital to a Cardinals team surging back into postseason contention.</p><p>With a crucial stretch ahead—starting with a three-game set against the Pirates and a key weekend series in Chicago against the Cubs—St. Louis will hope Arenado avoids the injured list and can keep adding to his already Hall-of-Fame-worthy résumé.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals star Nolan Arenado joins just 4 other active players with 400th career double

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-breakout-player-carted-off-field-ankle-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Breakout Guardians player carted off field with nasty ankle injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Gabriel-Arias-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Breakout Guardians player carted off field with nasty ankle injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T14:43:23-07:00">June 29th, 2:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T14:43:23-07:00">June 29th, 2:43pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A promising season for Gabriel Arias took a brutal turn on Sunday afternoon. The Cleveland Guardians’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/guardians-news-massive-jose-ramirez-injury-update-cardinals-clash">shortstop was carted off the field in the third inning</a> against the St. Louis Cardinals after suffering a left ankle injury while attempting to make a difficult play. Arias appeared to <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45609301/guardians-gabriel-arias-carted-field-left-leg-injury" rel="noopener">catch his spike in the grass</a> as he tried to field a ground ball hit by Masyn Winn deep in the shortstop hole, rolling his ankle awkwardly in the process.</p><p>Progressive Field went quiet as the 25-year-old immediately reached for his lower leg, clearly in significant pain. Cleveland’s training staff quickly rushed out to attend to him. Arias stayed down for several minutes, was fitted with an immobilizer, and was eventually helped onto a cart and driven off the field. The team later announced he had suffered a left ankle sprain and that X-rays came back negative. Arias will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the damage.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/guardians-news-jose-ramirez-concerning-injury-update-blue-jays-scuffle">injury is a gut punch for a Guardians team</a> that has already battled its share of adversity and now faces the potential loss of one of their most valuable infielders.</p><h2><b>Guardians fans holding their breath after Gabriel Aries goes down with injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Gabriel-Arias.jpg"><figcaption>© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Arias, in his first full season as a starter, had taken over as the team’s everyday shortstop after Brayan Rocchio was sent to Triple-A in May. He entered Sunday’s contest slashing .231/.293/.369 with six home runs, 17 doubles, and 31 RBIs across 77 games — all career bests. Just one day prior, he went 2-for-4 with a homer and a pair of RBIs, highlighting the offensive surge that had helped solidify his spot in the lineup.</p><p>But it’s not just Arias’ bat that’s been important to Cleveland. His glove has been elite. He ranks in the 87th percentile in outs above average and boasts arm strength in the 92nd percentile, making him one of the most reliable defenders at shortstop in the league.</p><p>His defensive value was on display even during the unfortunate play. Arias’ effort to make the stop was textbook hustle, but the awkward slide ended in what looked to be a potentially serious setback.</p><p>Daniel Schneemann entered the game at shortstop and finished things out in Arias’ place. While Schneemann has shown promise, the Guardians will miss the stability and two-way impact Arias brings — especially in a tightly contested AL Central.</p><p>With the Guardians set to head back on the road after the homestand, they’ll now do so without one of their brightest contributors. The hope is that Arias’ MRI brings good news, but Sunday’s scene painted a concerning picture for a club that can’t afford to lose more key pieces.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Breakout Guardians player carted off field with nasty ankle injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-massive-jose-ramirez-injury-update-cardinals-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Guardians get massive Jose Ramírez injury update for Cardinals clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jose-Ramirez_14186f.jpg"></figure><h1>Guardians get massive Jose Ramírez injury update for Cardinals clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T13:15:44-07:00">June 28th, 1:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T13:29:59-07:00">June 28th, 1:29pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Guardians got embarrassed for the second straight game Friday as the team has now suffered back-to-back shutout losses. While the offense was inept during its scoreless streak, it should be noted that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-jose-ramirez-concerning-injury-update-blue-jays-scuffle">Jose Ramírez was injured</a> in the Blue Jays matchup Thursday and held out of the lineup for the series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals Friday.</p><p>Fortunately for Stephen Vogt and company, the six-time All-Star is <a href="https://x.com/NickCaminoWKYC/status/1939017491554132009" rel="noopener">healthy enough</a> to suit up Saturday. Ramírez will return to the Guardians’ lineup for Game 2 against the Cardinals, per WKYC-TV 3’s Nick Camino. He’ll resume third base duties and bat third for Cleveland.</p><h2><b>Guardians welcome Jose Ramírez back to the lineup</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jose-Ramirez3.jpg"><figcaption>Dennis Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-jose-ramirez-leaves-blue-jays-game-after-vladimir-guerrero-jr">Ramírez was forced to leave the Blue Jays game</a> Thursday after being hit by a pitch. Toronto starter Kevin Gausman nailed the 13th-year veteran with a 95 mph heater. The pitch appeared destined for Ramírez’s ribs but he reflexively dropped his arm and got struck in the right forearm.</p><p>The beaning appeared to be in retaliation for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting plunked by Guardians starter Tanner Bibee in the top of the third inning. Ramírez took his base and stayed in the game to run but exited following the inning. The Guardians star was then held out against the Cardinals Friday.</p><p>Without Ramírez’s bat, Cleveland’s offense got steamrolled in consecutive matchups. Gausman went on to allow just two hits and one walk with six strikeouts in eight scoreless innings as Toronto won 6-0.</p><p>The following day, with Ramírez sidelined, the Guardians got blanked again. Cardinals starter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-sonny-gray-maddux-shutout-guardians">Sonny Gray was absolutely dominant</a>, delivering a one-hit complete-game shutout. Gray did not allow a walk while racking up 11 strikeouts in the 5-0 victory.</p><p>Ramírez’s return is great news for a Guardians team that’s lost three of the last four games, and has just three hits total in the last two contests. Cleveland has been outscored 25-11 over its four-game skid.</p><p>If the Guardians have any hope of making a playoff run this season, they’ll need their All-Star third baseman in the lineup. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cleveland-guardians/guardians-news-jose-ramirez-mlb-era-history-incredible-2025-season">Ramírez made MLB history</a> earlier this month as the only player to lead his team in six offensive categories 65 games into a season on three separate occasions.</p><p>Despite missing some time, Ramírez still leads the Guardians in hits, home runs, RBI, runs scored and stolen bases. He’s also tops on the club in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS+ and total bases.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Guardians get massive Jose Ramírez injury update for Cardinals clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-surprise-2025-success');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ex-player admits surprise amid Cardinals’ 2025 success');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nolan-Arenado-and-Willson-Contreras-celebrate-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ex-player admits surprise amid Cardinals’ 2025 success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T12:24:15-07:00">June 28th, 12:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T12:24:15-07:00">June 28th, 12:24pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nolan <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cardinals-rumors-nolan-arenado-trade-notion-red-sox-heats-up-triston-casas-injury">Arenado trade rumors</a> dominated the St. Louis Cardinals’ offseason following a 2024 campaign that saw the team struggle. After Arenado wasn’t traded during the offseason, the expectation was that he would end up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/cubs-perfect-nolan-arenado-trade-proposal-to-cardinals">getting moved before the trade deadline</a> in July, as the Cardinals were expected to endure another challenging campaign. As of this story’s writing, however, the Cardinals are 45-38 and only 3.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs for first place in the National League Central division. Former MLB reliever Jensen Lewis <a href="https://x.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/1939016343799390309" rel="noopener">recently addressed</a> the team’s unforeseen success during an appearance on MLB Network Radio.</p><p>“It is remarkable, too, on the Cardinals side… There are things we expected this year, there are things that were not,” Lewis said. “I don’t know how many of us expected the Cardinals to be in this spot from a record standpoint and a playoff, positional standpoint. I think Sonny Gray was a person we identified at the beginning of the year, ‘okay, if they’re gonna sell, Sonny G, Arenado, Ryan Helsley, those would be your big ticket items that would look pretty good for contending clubs.’</p><p>“And at this point, if you’re a Cardinal fan, you’re like, ‘well, not only are we not selling, but we’re right in the fight here. Not only for the National League Central but also for playoff positioning in the Wild Card race.'”</p><p>As Lewis mentioned, the Cardinals are also in the National League Wild Card race in addition to the division conversation. St. Louis will enter their game on Saturday afternoon against the Cleveland Guardians sitting only a half-game out of an NL Wild Card spot. The New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants currently hold the three available Wild Card positions in the NL.</p><p>Barring a devastating collapse over the next few weeks, the Cardinals will likely pursue buying instead of selling given their standings placement.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ex-player admits surprise amid Cardinals’ 2025 success

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-jordan-walker-injury-update-rehab-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals get huge Jordan Walker injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jordan-Walker-1.jpg"><figcaption>Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals get huge Jordan Walker injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T11:23:42-07:00">June 28th, 11:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T11:23:42-07:00">June 28th, 11:23am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-7th-player-mlb-history-accomplish-feat">St. Louis Cardinals are getting a major boost</a> to their roster as Jordan Walker officially begins a Triple-A rehab assignment, signaling his imminent return from an appendicitis scare that had sidelined him earlier this week. The news was first reported by STLToday’s Daniel Guerrero, who <a href="https://x.com/TheDanGuerrero/status/1939006122737697079" rel="noopener">shared the following</a> update on his X (formerly Twitter) account.</p><p>“The #STLCards say Jordan Walker (appendicitis) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment tonight with Class AAA Memphis.”</p><p>Walker’s return could not come at a better time. The Cardinals are currently 3.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central standings, and the team is counting on the 23-year-old to ignite their offense for the second half of the season. Prior to his injury, Walker was batting just .210 with three home runs and 23 RBIs in 54 games—but his underlying potential remains a key storyline in the MLB injury update cycle.</p><p>The former first-round pick avoided surgery for appendicitis after being treated with antibiotics. According to manager Oliver Marmol, Walker began experiencing discomfort during pregame warmups, which led to testing and a precautionary stint on the injured list. Thankfully, the non-surgical recovery has allowed Walker to return quicker than expected and now, through this Triple-A rehab assignment, he’ll look to sharpen timing and regain confidence.</p><p>It’s no secret the Cardinals need more consistency from their outfield. While names like Alec Burleson have stepped up, the lineup lacks the dynamic ceiling Walker brings when fully healthy. His statcast metrics continue to suggest future success, and as the trade deadline approaches, a healthy and productive Walker could shift the team’s trajectory in the division.</p><p>This rehab stint with Memphis will be critical. If Walker performs well over a few games, fans can expect him back in the majors quickly—potentially in time for key July matchups. With the NL Central standings tightening and postseason spots in flux, his return could become a difference-maker.</p><p>As the injury update cycle evolves and teams fight for postseason position, the Cardinals now have an internal solution on the verge of returning. The hope is that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-walker-returns-donovan-update-nootbaar-rest">Walker’s reemergence can power a playoff push</a>—and help him reclaim his standing as a franchise cornerstone moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals get huge Jordan Walker injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-sonny-gray-maddux-shutout-guardians');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals’ Sonny Gray reflects on dominant ‘Maddux’ outing vs. Guardians');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Sonny-Gray.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals’ Sonny Gray reflects on dominant ‘Maddux’ outing vs. Guardians</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T07:43:00-07:00">June 28th, 7:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T07:43:00-07:00">June 28th, 7:43am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals got a much-needed boost from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-sonny-gray-reveals-key-dominating-red-hot-tigers">starting pitcher Sonny Gray</a> Friday night, as the veteran right-hander delivered a dazzling complete game shutout against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Gray’s masterclass on the mound was not only dominant, but historic—qualifying as a rare Maddux (a shutout completed with under 100 pitches).</p><p>From the first pitch, Gray was in complete control. The Cardinals starter retired the first 14 batters he faced and ultimately allowed just one hit in nine scoreless innings. He threw only 89 pitches—66 of them for strikes—and struck out 11 without issuing a single walk. It marked the fifth shutout of his career and first since 2015.</p><p>Speaking to Daniel Guerrero of STLToday, Gray <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/article_85714188-947e-44a2-ac88-24e91e72d598.html" rel="noopener">reflected on how rare</a> these performances have become in today’s game.</p><p>“It’s been few and far between. I did it a lot earlier in my career, and it’s been a while,” Gray said. “It is nice. I hadn’t thought about it. I try not to do too much, but at the same time, it is nice to be able to do that for sure.”</p><p>Gray also acknowledged how pitching trends have shifted since his earlier seasons.</p><p>“You don’t know if you’ll be able to do it, especially the way the game has kind of gone,” Gray said after notching his 20th career double-digit strikeout game. “Especially with me. I don’t throw over 100 pitches very often… To be able to go out and throw nine innings and win the first game of a three-city road trip, overall we needed to come out and win.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-sonny-gray-strong-mentality-age-35-season">The Cardinals offense gave Gray early support</a>, with Pedro Pages and Alec Burleson each hitting home runs off Cleveland starter Luis Ortiz in the third inning. Burleson’s two-run blast helped push St. Louis to a 3-0 lead, and they never looked back.</p><p>Statistically, Gray’s outing was one for the books. According to MLB records, he became the first pitcher in 125 years to throw a nine-inning shutout with no earned runs, no walks, one or fewer hits allowed, at least 11 strikeouts, and fewer than 90 pitches.</p><p>Beyond the numbers, the win helped the club improve to 45-38, gaining valuable ground in the NL Central standings. Gray, now 8-2 on the season with a 3.36 ERA, has looked like a frontline ace in recent weeks. In his last seven starts, he’s posted a surgical 2.06 ERA over 43.2 innings.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Guardians continued their offensive struggles. Nolan Jones had their only hit of the night, and the team has totaled just three hits over its last two games. A players-only meeting was reportedly held afterward to regroup.</p><p>For St. Louis, Friday night was more than just another win—it was a reminder of how dangerous they can be when an ace like Gray takes over. With the road trip just beginning, the timing of this elite Maddux performance could not have been better.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals’ Sonny Gray reflects on dominant ‘Maddux’ outing vs. Guardians

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-willson-contreras-apologizes-cubs-after-heated-moment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals’ Willson Contreras apologizes to Cubs after heated moment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cardinals-catcher-Willson-Contreras-has-words-with-Cubs.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals’ Willson Contreras apologizes to Cubs after heated moment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T10:24:42-07:00">June 27th, 10:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T10:25:04-07:00">June 27th, 10:25am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A four-game series amid a fairly tight divisional race was already enough to add some spark to the longstanding St. Louis Cardinals-Chicago Cubs rivalry, but a strong emotional response from someone who has played on both teams might as well have been gasoline for this National League Central conflict. Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras and Cubs relief pitcher Daniel Palencia are doing their part to extinguish the flames, however.</p><p>Contreras, a three-time All-Star who spent seven seasons as Chicago’s catcher before signing an $87.5 million contract with St. Louis in 2022, took issue with a high 101 MPH Palencia fastball that hit him in the hand in the bottom of the ninth inning. He had some words for his fellow Venezuelan, and the right-hander eventually reciprocated after striking out the side to clinch the 3-0 Cubbies victory.</p><p>Palencia pounded his chest and turned his attention to Contreras, prompting the 33-year-old <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1938344142377005207" rel="noopener">to get hot once again</a>. Cardinals first base coach Stubby Clapp held him back, and disaster was ultimately averted. Cubs manager Craig Counsell commented on the situation, and in the process, <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1938346911741714532" rel="noopener">displayed some subtle savagery</a>.”I didn’t see it, I was giving high-fives,” he told reporters after the win, per Marquee Sports Network.</p><p>The two countrymen at the center of the incident each <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1938354687578722490" rel="noopener">expressed regret for how things unfolded</a> in Busch Stadium.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Daniel Palencia and Willson Contreras exchange words after the final out, leading to the benches clearing. <a href="https://t.co/vI6BIoNZwD">pic.twitter.com/vI6BIoNZwD</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1938344142377005207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I didn't see it, I was giving high-fives."</p><p>Craig Counsell on the exchange between Daniel Palencia and Willson Contreras. <a href="https://t.co/bO9j69xBcP">pic.twitter.com/bO9j69xBcP</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1938346911741714532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Cardinals’ Willson Contreras and Cubs’ Daniel Palencia share their perspectives<br></b></h2><p>“My reaction was bad,” Contreras said, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I apologize to the Chicago Cubs for the way I reacted… I don’t want to fight them.” He attributed the fiery reaction to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-willson-contreras-freak-injury-crazy-aj-pierzynski-take">the forearm fracture</a> he suffered last year. The 2016 World Series champion obviously does not want to endure another lengthy stint on the injured list. Furthermore, most hitters get animated when a fastball comes blazing toward their upper body.</p><p>Everyone knows the risks, and it seemed clear that Palencia did not intend to hit Contreras, but pitchers are expected to exercise reasonable command of the strike zone when throwing at such a blistering velocity. When a batter’s livelihood comes into question, tempers are naturally going to rise. Non-Cardinals fans will argue that Willson Contreras is one of the more volatile guys in the league, but this issue is bigger than one incident.</p><p>Nevertheless, this is a former Cubs slugger who left the Windy City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cardinals-news-willson-contreras-cubs">on icy terms</a>. People are going to feel a certain way when he is involved in a heated exchange. Daniel Palencia <a href="https://x.com/WatchMarquee/status/1938350955231101219" rel="noopener">does not wish to engender any additional animosity</a>, however, nor does he want to start a feud with a man he grew up watching on television.</p><p>“I was pretty hype … I don’t want to hit that guy,” the 25-year-old told reporters, via Marquee Sports Network. “I’ve been watching that guy since I was a kid. I feel proud of him for what he’s doing for the game. Like I said, the moment was intense, close game. I think it was just that.”</p><p>It sounds as if both sides have cooled off and are ready to move forward, but fans will be on high alert when the Cardinals (44-38) and Cubs (48-33) collide again next week. Wrigley Field will surely have much to say following Thursday’s altercation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals’ Willson Contreras apologizes to Cubs after heated moment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-place-outfielder-il-with-appendicitis');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals place outfielder on IL with appendicitis, but there’s a bright side');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cardinals-OF-Jordan-Walker.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals place outfielder on IL with appendicitis, but there’s a bright side</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T17:35:48-07:00">June 26th, 5:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T18:38:21-07:00">June 26th, 6:38pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The last week had been going swimmingly for the St. Louis Cardinals. They finished off the Chicago White Sox, took a series from the Cincinnati Reds, won the first two games of their divisional showdown with the Chicago Cubs, and occupied a National League Wild Card slot. Their luck is turning a bit, however, as we near the weekend. The team placed breakout designated hitter/catcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-dealt-concerning-injury-blow-before-reds-matchup">Ivan Herrera on the injured list</a> with a hamstring strain on June 20 and ended up splitting its series with the Cubbies.</p><p>Before the Cards fell 3-0 against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-shota-imanagas-injury-return-results-pitcher-dfa">returning Shota Imanaga</a> and NL West-leading Chicago — getting outscored 11-0 the last two days — they had more disappointing business to address. Former top prospect Jordan Walker is also heading to the IL. He has appendicitis, which is especially unsettling considering he recently returned to action after sustaining wrist inflammation at the end of May. There is at least some encouraging news to come out of the overall unfortunate situation, though.</p><p>The 23-year-old right fielder <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/article_3b5b726b-2014-42ad-9360-497ae3f2fa97.html" rel="noopener">does not require surgery</a> and was able to return home on Wednesday, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hence, Walker’s recovery time will be much quicker than it could have been. Nevertheless, this is another setback for a player who has yet to meet expectations.</p><p>Walker, the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, is batting only .210 with three home runs, 23 RBIs and a .562 OPS through 55 games this season. He has admittedly endured plenty of adversity during his tenure with the Cardinals, struggling to gain consistent playing time over the last two and a half seasons. Both the organization and fans desperately hope the 6-foot-6 talent can still emerge as a productive hitter in St. Louis.</p><p>But first, he must get healthy. Jordan Walker is currently taking antibiotics as he works toward rejoining the Cards (44-38) at some point shortly. Meanwhile, the team is focused on getting back on track when it battles the Cleveland Guardians (40-39) on Friday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals place outfielder on IL with appendicitis, but there’s a bright side

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-gets-real-on-st-louis-success-amid-constant-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado gets real on St. Louis’ success amid constant trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nolan-Arenado_d9ccb3.jpg"></figure><h1>Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado gets real on St. Louis’ success amid constant trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T11:40:33-07:00">June 25th, 11:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T11:40:33-07:00">June 25th, 11:40am</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado got honest about his team’s success <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/2-cardinals-trade-block-ahead-2025-deadline">amid several trade rumors</a>. The Cardinals are one of the hottest teams in the league, having won eight out of their past ten games and making up ground in the NL Central race. St. Louis currently sits at 44-36 overall and is just 2.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the division. The Cardinals are also tied with the Milwaukee Brewers in the division and for the final spot in the wild card race right now.</p><p>It’s a long season, but this team is in a great rhythm right now, and Arenado knows it. The 34-year-old is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-7th-player-mlb-history-accomplish-feat">one of the greatest third basemen of all time</a>, and while he is no longer in his prime, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-walks-off-dodgers">still a key contributor on this roster</a>. Based on recent comments, it doesn’t sound like Arenado wants to be traded anytime soon. In an interview with St. Louis sports reporter Tamar Sher, the veteran infielder <a href="https://x.com/tamar_sher/status/1937908774070579223" rel="noopener">broke down</a> his excitement about the Cardinals’ current series against the Cubs.</p><p>“Just seeing everyone, one through nine, contributing, I like playing baseball like this, against the Cubs, where games matter. As you get older, that’s what you want to play for. You don’t want to play games just to play games. Individually, I’ve accomplished some things in this sport, and I just want to accomplish something team-oriented and special now, and win a World Series. This is the most excited I’ve come to the ballpark, for a series like this in about two years.</p><p>We’ve done a really good job establishing that there’s a standard to be played here on both sides of the ball, and if you’re not bringing it offensively, you can still bring it defensively. And I think that’s something we’re seeing with this group. They are starting to learn that to be a good player, to be here for a long time, you’ve got to play both sides of the ball.”</p><p>The Cardinals have now won the first two games of this series against the Cubs, and head into tonight’s clash with a chance to shrink Chicago’s lead in the division even more. The MLB trade deadline is about a month away, so the rumors are swirling about whether St. Louis will look to deal Arenado. The eight-time All-Star is set to make $52 million total over the next three seasons and still a quality player in this league.</p><p>Overall, should the Cardinals continue their recent run of form, it’ll be difficult for the fanbase if the front office makes any drastic moves. The roster could use some upgrades, particularly with the starting pitching staff and the bullpen, to emerge as a true contender in the NL. But it’s clear, looking at Arenado’s statements, the vibes are very high right now with this current group, and it would be a great idea to potentially mess them up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado gets real on St. Louis’ success amid constant trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/2-cardinals-trade-block-ahead-2025-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', '2 Cardinals who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nolan-Arenado-of-the-St.-Louis-Cardinals-1.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Aiken-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>2 Cardinals who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T09:32:01-07:00">June 23rd, 9:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T09:32:01-07:00">June 23rd, 9:32am</time><address><a>Cameron Zunkel</a>Cameron Zunkel is a former college athlete for the University of Illinois, Springfield. During that time, he earned his masters degree in Communication. After graduating in 2022, Cameron signed to play independent professional baseball with the Joliet Slammers, but his time was cut short due to injury. Nonetheless, his love for baseball and all sports never faded.Cameron loves the sports media and sports journalism side of things and does some light writing for a Chicago Cubs blog, as well. To go along with that, he loves sports betting and fantasy sports. He also loves digging on the research and creating content for both sports betting and fantasy sports!</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals are playing competitive baseball right now. They are 42-36, which puts them 4.5 games back in the National League Central division, and just 1.0 games back in the National League Wild Card race. The Cardinals are nowhere near out of the playoff picture, and the team truly thinks they can still make it. With the MLB trade deadline slowly approaching, St. Louis has to make a decision on whether or not they want to sell or buy.</p><p>Now, the Cardinals have a few players with no-trade clauses in their contracts in Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas. Both <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-rumors-2-players-no-interest-waiving-no-trade-clause">Gray and Mikolas have no interest in waiving their no-trade clause</a>, so they are not expected to be traded. However, other star players like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-rumors-buster-olney-hints-at-possible-nolan-arenado-trade-pursuit">Nolan Arenado have been at the center of trade conversations</a>. Still, there is not guarantee St. Louis will be sellers at the deadline.</p><p>They will welcome the Chicago Cubs to Busch Stadium for a four-game series starting Monday night before heading to Cleveland for three games to finish the week. The Cardinals will head to Wrigley Field next week for Fourth of July weekend, as well. This stretch of games is not going to be easy. If St. Louis comes out of it losing six or seven of those 10 games, there is a chance they sell at the deadline. However, if the team can finish those 10 games with a winning record, they should go all in on the playoffs.</p><p>Below is one player the Cardinals should consider trading if they are sellers, and one they should trade if they are buyers.</p><h2><b>Nolan Arenado is the easy answer if the Cardinals Sell</b></h2><p>As mentioned, Arenado is already at the center of trade conversations. There are plenty of teams that could use a third baseman with the skills of Arenado.</p><p>On the season, the Gold Glover is slashing .247/.310/.404 with 10 home runs, 39 RBI, 36 runs scored, and 23 walks to just 32 strikeouts. The right-handed batter has always had great bat-to-ball skills, but some of his other tools are starting to regress.</p><p>As it stands right now, Arenado is on pace to have his career-worst OPS, not counting his rookie season. Additionally, the third baseman currently has the lowest batting average of his career. Now, there is plenty of time for him to raise his numbers, but it is clear that he is beginning to hit the backend of his career.</p><p>Even with his numbers not being as high this year, they are still above the Major League average. That means <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-nolan-arenado-walks-off-dodgers">Arenado can still hit the ball and produce at a high level</a>. Because of that, St. Louis would be able to get a fantastic return on him.</p><p>One thing to keep in mind is Arenado has a large contract. He is getting paid $21 million this season, but that drops to $16 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027. A player of his caliber should be getting paid a little bit more than that. With his affordable — for what he is truly worth — contract, and his years of club control, Arenado should be a hot commodity this July.</p><h2><b>Cardinals have to be willing to trade Max Rajcic</b></h2><p>The Cardinals have some team needs. One that really pops out is a power hitter in the lineup. St. Louis is 24th in home runs this season with just 74 in 78 games. The Cardinals are great at hitting with runners in scoring positions, and they will take the extra base, while scoring runs. However, they just do not leave the yard often.</p><p>A true power-hitting threat would fit great in the lineup in St. Louis. Players like Eugenio Suarez and Taylor Ward come to mind. They would have spots in the lineup immediately, and they would be leading the team in homers by a good amount.</p><p>In order to acquire someone like that, St. Louis has to be willing to part ways with one of their top prospects. The good news is it would not take a top-1o prospect in the organization. The Cardinals could get away with trading someone in the 20-30 range of their top prospects.</p><p>Max Rajcic is the No. 23 prospect in the organization. He is currently in Double-A, but a promotion to Triple-A could be in his near future. This year with the Springfield Cardinals, Rajcic has a 4.30 ERA, 60 strikeouts, 21 walks, and a 2.37 oBA in 58.2 innings pitched.</p><p>He is very talented, and just 23 years old. The right-hander has plenty of time to develop, and going to an organization that could use him sooner rather than later would be good for Rajcic.</p><p>Pairing Max Rajcic with another MLB-ready player, or low-level prospect would allow St. Louis to land a power hitter they truly need.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 Cardinals who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-rumors-2-players-no-interest-waiving-no-trade-clause');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals rumors: 2 players with ‘no interest’ in waiving no-trade clause');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/St-Louis-Cardinals-players-celebrating.jpg"><figcaption>© Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cardinals rumors: 2 players with ‘no interest’ in waiving no-trade clause</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-22T11:29:49-07:00">June 22nd, 11:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-22T11:30:04-07:00">June 22nd, 11:30am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals are rumored to have at least two players who don’t want to leave the team, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/2025-mlb-trade-deadline-5-players-most-likely-moved">ahead of this year’s MLB trade deadline</a>. Pitchers Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/06/22/manny-machado-stats-san-diego-padres-hall-of-fame/84303745007/" rel="noopener">are not interested</a> in waiving their no-trade clauses, per USA Today.</p><p>USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that there are several teams who would love to trade for either pitcher. It appears though that neither one of them will leave, as they both have full no-trade clauses. Gray and Mikolas both don’t want to waive them, per the outlet.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-brutal-small-margin-admission-loss-cardinals">Cardinals have done well in recent weeks due to the strength of their starting pitching</a>. St. Louis is currently tied for second in the NL Central, with a 42-35 record before Sunday’s games.</p><p>Gray and Mikolas are both doing a fine job this season. Gray has a 7-2 record with a 3.74 ERA. Mikolas is 4-4 on the year, with a 4.35 ERA.</p><h2><b>The Cardinals are trying to make waves in the National League</b></h2><p>The Redbirds are chasing the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central this year. While the Cardinals started out a bit sluggish, they have gone on a tear in May and into June. Things have cooled down for them somewhat, as the team has won six of their last 10 games.</p><p>St. Louis is 18th this season in MLB, when it comes to ERA among its pitchers. The Cardinals <a href="https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/pitching/era?sortState=asc" rel="noopener">collectively have posted</a> a 3.94 ERA, per league stats. Gray is leading the way for the club in wins and strikeouts. He has 90 strikeouts on the campaign. Gray also leads the Redbirds in innings worked this season.</p><p>There are several teams that would love to find some starting <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/yankees-news-pitching-staff-hit-another-il-stint">pitching before the trade deadline, including the New York Yankees</a>. It’s good news for Cardinals fans that their rotation looks like it will mostly stay together. The MLB trade deadline is July 31.</p><p>St. Louis plays the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals rumors: 2 players with ‘no interest’ in waiving no-trade clause

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-news-st-louis-dealt-concerning-injury-blow-before-reds-matchup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cardinals dealt concerning injury blow before Reds matchup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Featured-image-Ivan-Herrera.jpg"></figure><h1>Cardinals dealt concerning injury blow before Reds matchup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T14:01:54-07:00">June 20th, 2:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T14:01:54-07:00">June 20th, 2:01pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The St. Louis Cardinals are dealing with a concerning injury before their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. This bitter news comes with the franchise on a three-game winning streak, catapulting them into the thick of the playoff race. The Cardinals sit at 40-35 and are tied for second place in the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Chicago Cubs lead the division right now by 5.5 games.</p><p>In addition, St. Louis is only half a game out of the last Wild Card spot, meaning this team will likely be a buyer at the trade deadline. But it will not be easy for the Cardinals to keep pace in an elite and deep National League with the latest news on catcher Ivan Herrera. The 25-year-old picked up an injury against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch lead baseball writer Derrick Goold <a href="https://x.com/dgoold/status/1936145885596897378" rel="noopener">provided an unfortunate update</a> on social media.</p><p>“Ivan Herrera goes on IL with a hamstring tear. Details forthcoming. Thomas Saggese on the way to majors, Cardinals say.”</p><p>Herrera was having a positive season through his 42 games of action. The Panama City native has a batting average of .320 with eight home runs and 36 RBI. While Herrera is considered a work in progress at catcher, he has some athletic upside that should allow him to gradually improve on defense as the year goes on. Unfortunately, Ivan will be out for the foreseeable future, meaning Pedro Pages will be heavily relied upon to develop more after a slow start.</p><p>The Cardinals’ offense has largely been productive in 2025. This group ranks seventh overall in runs per game, taking on an overall balanced approach. On the other hand, the pitching has been a lot less reliable, both with the starting rotation and the bullpen. If the Cardinals want to make a legitimate run at a postseason berth, changes will need to be made to that unit before July 31. And as more news comes out about Herrera’s injury, St. Louis might also have another position in desperate need of an upgrade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cardinals dealt concerning injury blow before Reds matchup

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
50	1.62	9	0.78	1

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
50	1.62	9	0.78	1

Matthew
Liberatore

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Matthew Liberatore

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Matthew
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