Commish’s Offerings 3-20-2023
Rick Hummel is presented by:
Fast Eddie’s Bon Air
in Alton, Illinois
What to do with DeJong?
JUPITER, Fla.-
The start-and-stop process for Paul DeJong reviving his career was to resume in the next day or two as he was to return to the Cardinals' lineup following absences both for elbow and back problems, the latter of which he thought he had all but taken care of.
This was the spring the former Cardinals regular shortstop was to have played a lot, with regular Tommy Edman gone to the World Baseball Classic team to play for Korea. Instead, youngster Masyn Winn popped many eyes as the Cardinals' shortstop while DeJong either served as a designated hitter when he could or just sat by trying to heal.
"It's been weird,” said DeJong, who has only 13 official at-bats with two hits but six walks compared to one strikeout. “I've hit some road bumps here.”
With the elbow problem, DeJong still could hit. The back injury, which occurred when he was making a 360-degree play about 10 days, has been “more cumbersome for daily movements.”
He had had some back problems in the past “and that movement really aggravated it,” he said. “But I shouldn't feel that after making that play. I've made that play several times. So I just think I need to make an adjustment to my lifting program.”
DeJong said Sunday he thought he would be ready for opening day on March 30 in St. Louis and manager Oliver Marmol said he planned to play DeJong considerably the rest of camp which has a week to run but DeJong reported soreness Monday morning and he may turn up on the injured list by opening day if he can't go later this week.
“I'm hoping I can play as much as I can, just to show them I'm capable of being on this team,” DeJong said.
DeJong, 29, batted .157 last year after hitting just .197 the year before as he surrendered his job. He hit 30 homers in 2019 but had just six last season as he spent much of the season at Class AAA Memphis.
This year is the final year on DeJong's guaranteed, six-year contract which has two club options that likely won't be picked up. “Obviously, it's monumental for me to show what I can do to the rest of the league and to this organization. But I don't want to make it too big or bigger than I can imagine,” he said.
"I know what I can bring to the team when I'm at my best.
"It's a possible turn off the highway to a different team to a different role to whatever it is. I'm excited for all possibilities.
"I know my career is not over and that I have plenty of good baseball left in me. These setbacks are just temporary for me.”
But, he said, repeating a philosophy he has expressed before, “When I start projecting out, that's when I get in trouble. I really have to slow everything down to moment by moment. What can I do right now?”
DeJong's new hitting stance and approach have proved beneficial to his “seeing the ball better.” Ergo, the spike in walks. But, along the was, he admits he has been tentative to cut the bat loose.
"That's the fine balance I'm looking for,” he said. “That's part of the puzzle—to be able to go into those tight counts and win. And not swing at a 2-0 slider in the dirt.”
Winn, who turns 21 this week, has hit with much more authority than had been anticipated. His speed, glove and rocket throwing come as no surprise. But, take a breath. He's not joining Jordan Walker on a potential opening-day roster.
“If you're going to take somebody like Winn, he has to be able to play short every day,” said Marmol.
“There's no reason to play Winn if he has to come off the bench and play multiple positions and get at-bats here and there. This is a guy who has the potential to play short for a while and establish himself as a piece to what we're doing for a long time, so you want to make sure he develops properly. There's zero rush that he's got to break camp for us on what he's done over a two-week span.
“There's a process to this and he's fallen into this extremely well. We want to make sure that everything we do is best for the entire group and best for the individual.”
But Marmol admits his eyes have been opened by Winn's pop at bat, both from the pull side and an ability to hit to the opposite field.
"The kid's doing well. Extremely well," said Marmol. "But where does he play?
"And who's out? The same guy who everyone was clamoring for to be in the big leagues and break camp last year? (Nolan) Gorman? So Tommy goes to second and now (Brendan) Donovan's your utility guy?
"Who's out?
"Eddy, Donovan and Gorman are ripping through the league—as they're prepared to do. "Now, is (Winn) doing it at an extremely high rate and he's more advanced than I would have anticipated at the start of camp as far as the bat goes? Yeah. You talk to the scouting director and (the minor league) coaches and they'll tell you, 'He's a dude. He can play.'''
He would not be a short-term injury replacement but Winn is fun to watch.
“Are you kidding me? You don't want to miss anything,” said Marmol.
Veteran non-roster infielder Taylor Motter, who has had a good spring, got his first start on shortstop against the New York Mets on Sunday.
