Thumb sprain lands Carlson on IL, Cardinals promote slugging prospect Burleson

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The troubling recent performance for Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson may have been hampered by an injury, as the team announced Wednesday that Carlson has been placed on the injured list with a left thumb sprain.

Carlson’s struggles against right-handed pitching had wedged him into the short side of a platoon in recent weeks, with the 23-year-old outfielder playing primarily against left-handed pitching. His .196 batting average and meager .304 slugging percentage over his past 30 games paled in comparison to the player Carlson can be, so the team is looking to give him some time to heal before returning to his capabilities in the starting outfield.

The timing is fortuitous for slugging outfield prospect Alec Burleson, who has been raking with Triple-A Memphis this season proving his worthiness for a call-up to the big leagues. That call arrived Wednesday as Burleson will take Carlson’s spot on the active roster in St. Louis.

OF Dylan Carlson (left thumb sprain) has been placed on the 10-day IL.

OF Alec Burleson has been selected from Memphis (AAA).

To make room on the 40-player roster, OF Conner Capel has been designated for assignment. pic.twitter.com/HwqjImpgPM
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 7, 2022

Outfielder Conner Capel was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Burleson, who at 23 years old, has compiled a robust .331/.372/.532 batting line with Memphis this season. A second-round pick out of ECU in the 2020 MLB Draft, Burleson bats from the left side and looks to carry his power stroke over to the majors. In the minors this year, he has blasted 20 home runs with 87 RBIs in 470 plate appearances.