Cardinals activate Dylan Carlson from injured list

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The Cardinals announced Friday afternoon some reinforcements for an offense that scored just six runs across three games while being swept away by the Rays earlier this week.

The team has activated outfielder Dylan Carlson from the injured list in time for Friday night’s series opener against the Reds at Busch Stadium. Lars Nootbaar has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis in a move corresponding to Carlson’s return.

Carlson struggled out of the gate this season as the team’s primary lead-off batter to open the year, but he had turned the corner with more substantial production in May prior to his injury on May 21. For May, Carlson compiled a .314 batting average and .837 OPS while rifling six doubles and a pair of home runs in 74 plate appearances.

The 23-year-old switch-hitter started out slowly in the first leg of his rehab assignment, going 0-for-7 with Double-A Springfield before getting a couple more games under his belt in Memphis. That’s where Carlson seemed to lock in on his timing at the plate, going 5-for-6 with a home run over his last two games to prove his readiness for a return to the big-league roster.

For Nootbaar, Friday represents his second option back to the minors this season, as he’s had a hard time drawing consistent enough playing time to find his footing at the MLB level so far in 2022.