Injuries & Moves: Hudson joins Cards for doubleheader

July 1: RHP Dakota Hudson added as 27th player for doubleheader vs. YankeesHudson, a fixture of the Cardinals starting staff from 2018-22, was recalled from Triple-A Memphis to be St. Louis’ 27th player for Saturday’s doubleheader against the Yankees on Saturday. Friday’s game was washed out by rain and will be made up at 6:15 p.m. CT on Saturday at Busch Stadium as part of a split doubleheader.

Hudson, 28, won a career-best 16 games for the Cardinals in 2019 and finished fifth in the voting for the NL Rookie of the Year award. He injured his right arm in ’20 and eventually needed Tommy John surgery to replace a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.

Since then, Hudson has struggled to find his footing with the Cardinals, splitting 2022 between St. Louis and Triple-A Memphis. He pushed for a starting rotation slot in Spring Training, but he didn’t make the Opening Day roster and opened the season with the Redbirds. This season, while battling a neck injury, Hudson is 5-4 with a 6.00 ERA in 11 Triple-A starts.

June 30: INF Brendan Donovan (right arm discomfort) scratched from Friday’s lineupAlready without the defensive services of Nolan Arenado, the Cardinals got reassuring news on Friday night when an MRI on Donovan’s arm came back clean, per manager Oliver Marmol. Donovan, the first rookie Gold Glover in Cards history when he won the first-ever utility award in 2022, will be on a “no-throw” plan for a matter of days, but he will still be available as the DH or a pinch-hitter in Saturday’s doubleheader.

With Arenado limited to DH duties for a second straight game, the Cardinals moved lefty slugger Nolan Gorman to third base, Tommy Edman to second base and Lars Nootbaar to center field, while inserting Dylan Carlson into the lineup in right field. Donovan came into Friday riding a 17-game on-base streak, during which he has slashed .353/.436/.485 with two home runs and nine RBIs.

June 30: RHP Jake Woodford (right shoulder strain) put on 15-day injured list; RHP James Naile recalled from Triple-A MemphisWoodford was placed on the 15-day IL on Friday due to pain in his throwing shoulder. He felt discomfort late Thursday night after he allowed four earned runs on four hits, two walks and a long home run to Astros slugger Kyle Tucker in 2 1/3 innings pitched. It is the second time this season that the 26-year-old Woodford has been placed on the IL with right shoulder irritation.

Southeast Missouri native James Naile, who grew up rooting for the Cardinals, was recalled from Memphis. He has a 4.15 ERA in three appearances (4 1/3 innings) for St. Louis this season and was a member of the club’s three-man taxi squad for the London Series.

June 30: 3B Nolan Arenado (low back tightness) in lineup at DH on Thursday and FridayArenado, who hit a three-run home run in the first inning after the Cardinals had fallen behind, 3-0, left Wednesday night’s game before the sixth inning with lower back tightness, per the Cardinals. He went 1-for-2 on Thursday before being lifted for a pinch-hitter when the game got out of hand.

Arenado, who played two games in London on artificial turf last weekend, missed time last season because of lower back pain that he believes was caused by playing on the artificial turf in a series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

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RHP Jake Woodford (right shoulder strain)Expected return: TBDWoodford was placed on the 15-day IL on June 30 due to pain in his throwing shoulder. He felt discomfort late Thursday night after he allowed four earned runs on four hits, two walks and a long home run to Astros slugger Kyle Tucker in 2 1/3 innings pitched. It is the second time this season that the 26-year-old Woodford has been placed on the IL with right shoulder irritation. (Last updated: June 30)

RHP Ryan Helsley (right forearm strain)Expected return: TBDHelsley was hoping to get the OK from his doctor to resume baseball activities the week of June 26, but he anticipates his return is still weeks away.

Helsley said the injury, sustained on June 11 while playing catch before a game against the Reds, was the same injury he suffered in 2018.

“I think in ’18, I tried to rush back too quick and dealt with it for 2 1/2 months, you know, and ultimately made one start and got shut down the rest of the year,” Helsley said. “I decided this time it was more important to come back healthy, you know, whatever point that is during the season, instead of try to throw in a week and maybe get shut down again and have to restart the process all over again.”

Helsley anticipates needing two to three weeks of a buildup followed by a rehab assignment before returning. (Last updated: June 27)

INF Jose Fermin (quad strain)Expected return: Several weeks at the earliestFermin, who has a spot on the 40-man roster and was acquired this offseason in a trade with the Guardians, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a quad strain.

When asked if the injury was deemed significant, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said, “Yeah, I would say so. Running down to first [on March 4], when he came out of the game, he strained his quad. I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but when we all hear the word ‘strain,’ we all know what that means.” (Last updated: March 6)

OF Tyler O’Neill (lower back strain)Expected return: TBDO’Neill has resumed baseball activities and hopes to go on a rehab assignment the week of July 3.

“Physically, I just feel a lot better,” O’Neill said. “Just not having that everyday activity pain. You know, after baseball activity and swinging and feeling good again. So, you know, I feel like I’m in a really good spot right now.”

O’Neill, who has been on the injured list with persistent back pain since May 5, revealed on June 11 that he recently sought out a second opinion from Southern California-based back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins, and he received two pain-blocking injections in his lower back on June 1. O’Neill was prescribed 14 days with no physical activity, a break that ended on June 15. (Last updated: June 27)

LHP Packy Naughton (left forearm strain)Expected return: 2024Naughton was forced to leave the April 7 loss to the Brewers in the eighth inning with numbness in his left arm. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said on June 19 that Naughton would undergo surgery on June 26, sidelining the left-hander for the remainder of 2023. (Last updated: June 19)

RHP Wilking Rodriguez (right shoulder pain)Expected return: 2024Rodriguez, a Rule 5 Draft selection from the Yankees who was supposed to contend for a spot in the Cardinals’ bullpen, had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder on May 3, Cards manager Oliver Marmol said. The 33-year-old Rodriguez isn’t expected to be able to resume throwing for 4-to-6 months following the arthroscopic procedure.

Rodriguez appeared in seven Spring Training games, but he opened the regular season on the injured list because of recurring shoulder pain. He made three appearances with Triple-A Memphis, but pain eventually returned in his shoulder. (Last updated: May 3)

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