Cardinals place Nolan Gorman on the injured list amid persistent lower back issue

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The Cardinals stopped kicking the can down the road with Nolan Gorman’s lower back troubles Thursday, placing the slugging infielder on the injured list. The team officially listed Gorman’s injury as a lower back strain.

The move is retroactive to August 14, but Gorman hasn’t seen the field for the Cardinals since back on August 12. It’s not the first time this season that Gorman has dealt with discomfort in his lower back, but it is the first time this year that the 23-year-old has required an IL stint in order to work through his back soreness.

Despite the recurring back problems throughout the campaign, Gorman has mashed 24 home runs with 67 RBIs and a robust .815 OPS in 2023.

The Cardinals promoted Richie Palacios in a corresponding move to the Gorman transaction, as the team simply could not afford to continue shelving Gorman on the bench after both Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman left Wednesday’s game with short-term injuries.

Palacios came over to the St. Louis organization in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians earlier this season and has posted a .418 on-base percentage in 195 plate appearances with the Triple-A Redbirds.