Matt Carpenter (knee) is leading off and playing third base on Saturday versus the Mets.
Fantasy Impact: Carpenter left Saturday's game after fouling a ball off his knee but looks to be fine moving forward.
Fantasy Impact: Molina was swapped out for a defensive replacement late in the game, likely to keep him fresh since the game was so out of hand. He did some damage before he left, and is starting to come out of a slow start. He now has a .243 AVG and .122 ISO on the year, and those numbers should continue to rise.
Paul DeJong went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored in the Cardinals' 10-2 win over the Mets on Saturday.
Fantasy Impact: The hot hitting continues for DeJong, who now has a .329 AVG and .280 ISO in 91 PA. DeJong could be in for a huge year batting third for St. Louis, and so far has proven himself up for the task. He'll likely finish the year as a top-ten shortstop.
Paul Goldschmidt went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in the Cardinals' 10-2 win over the Mets on Saturday.
Fantasy Impact: Goldschmidt may have a .235 AVG and 30% K rate, but his eight home runs and .326 ISO have made up for reduced contact thus far. We should expect Goldschmidt to turn around the average over time. He's still one of the game's top first basemen.
Miles Mikolas allowed two runs on four hits over eight innings in the Cardinals' 10-2 win over the Mets on Saturday. He walked two and struck out four while improving to 2-1.
Fantasy Impact: This was Mikolas' best start of the year so far, as he went beyond six innings for the first time and allowed fewer than three runs for the first time. Sadly, his four strikeouts were also a season high. We knew Mikolas wasn't going to be racking up K's like Max Scherzer, but his 4.66 K/9 is worse than most expected. This was at least a step in the right direction for Mikolas, whose next chance comes Friday against the Reds.
Fantasy Impact: The Cardinals are hoping this gives Reyes more structure to work on things between starts, as opposed to not knowing which days he will pitch out of the bullpen. Since getting demoted Reyes has thrown 4 2/3 scoreless innings. However, he has also allowed six free passes, which was an issue for him when with the Cardinals earlier this season. Reyes has enough upside to make him worth monitoring.
Dexter Fowler went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles, a pair of walks, and a run scored in the Cardinals' 5-4 win over the Mets on Friday.
Fantasy Impact: Fowler has been hitting much better as of late, and extended his hit streak to eight games after today. He now has a .291 AVG and .400 OBP on the year, and should be in line for regular playing time due to the injuries to Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill. Fowler could be a decent source of batting average in deeper leagues while getting regular playing time.
Jose Martinez went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in the Cardinals' 5-4 loss to the Mets on Friday.
Fantasy Impact: Martinez's home run may have come off Jason Vargas, but it still counts on the stat sheet. Martinez should be in line for more playing time due to injuries to Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill, and could be a decent source of batting average while playing every day. He's at least worth keeping an eye on during this opportunity.
Adam Wainwright lasted just three innings and took the loss Friday in the Cardinals' 5-4 loss to the Mets. He allowed eight hits, four runs (three earned), walked three, and struck out three.
Fantasy Impact: This is exactly why we don't trust Adam Wainwright. He had two straight quality starts coming into this game, and then allowed 11 baserunners in just three innings. It took him 86 pitches to get nine outs, and only 48 of those went for strikes. His next start comes Wednesday against Milwaukee, and he should not be used in that game.
Marcell Ozuna went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the Cardinals' 6-3 win over the Brewers on Wednesday.
Fantasy Impact: Ozuna is locked in right now, having homered in four straight games, with five total over that stretch. He is proving that he's healthy and ready to be a big-time power hitter again.
Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fourth save in the Cardinals' 6-3 win over the Brewers on Wednesday. He allowed zero hits, one walk, and struck out one.
Fantasy Impact: Hicks has seized the closer's role in St. Louis amid the struggles of all other options. He has four saves and a 2.25 ERA eight innings thus far.
Fantasy Impact: This was nice to see from Wacha considering his seven-run stinker last time out. His biggest problem has been control, so the one walk allowed is encouraging as well. Wacha's next start comes Tuesday against the Brewers at home.
Jack Flaherty allowed five runs on nine hits over 2.2 innings in the Cardinals' 8-4 loss to the Brewers on Tuesday. He walked one and struck out four while falling to 1-1.
Fantasy Impact: Flaherty simply didn't have it in this one, and couldn't buy an out as a result. The young right-hander will be prone to volatility thanks to his inexperience and slider-heavy pitching style. His next start comes against these same Brewers at home on Monday.
Fantasy Impact: Bader wound up landing on the IL after him and the Cardinals tried to ride out his hamstring woes. With Bader and Tyler O'Neill placed on IL, Jose Martinez has a great opportunity to pickup more plate appearances. In 34 at-bats, Martinez is slashing .265/.265/.324 and has four runs scored, five RBI and eight strikeouts.
Fantasy Impact: O'Neill was removed from Monday night's game with "arm discomfort," and it appears his elbow was the culprit. It's unclear how long O'Neill will be out, and with Harrison Bader battling a hamstring injury, the Cardinals' outfield depth is taking a hit. Jose Martinez should see some additional playing time with O'Neill down.
Fantasy Impact: Myers complained of a cramping sensation in his throwing shoulder and will return to St. Louis on Tuesday for further examination. The 27-year-old has compiled a 5.40 ERA in eight appearances this season with eight strikeouts and five walks in 8 1/3 innings of work.
Fantasy Impact: Hudson also served up two home runs in this one, and has now allowed five home runs in 13.1 innings this season. Hudson may have had a 2.79 ERA coming into this start, but he also had a 7.29 FIP and 14.3% walk rate coming into this game, so he should not have been trusted regardless of the surface stats. His next start comes Sunday against the Mets, and he should not be used in any formats in that game.
Kolten Wong went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a stole base, his fourth of each, in the Cardinals' 5-2 loss to the Reds on Saturday.
Fantasy Impact: Wong was also hit by a pitch twice in this one. The 28-year-old second baseman has gotten off to a surprising start, with four homers and four steals along with a 1.085 OPS in 55 PA. While the production will slow down eventually, Wong is proving himself as a valuable fantasy asset after three straight years of fantasy futility.
Fantasy Impact: Miller served up a pair of home runs in the eighth, blowing the Cardinals' lead and giving himself his first loss of the year. Miller has had a rough start to his Cardinals career, having allowed four earned runs in his first five appearances. He should still be used in high leverage situations since the Cardinals recently demoted Alex Reyes, but he might be best left on the fantasy bench for now.
Fantasy Impact: Gyorko was nagged by a right calf strain most of spring training. INF/OF Drew Robinson was optioned to Memphis (AAA) in a corresponding move. Gyorko has hit 61 home runs for the Cardinals since 2016, second only to Matt Carpenter (81) in that span. He's a terrific spot-start against left-handed pitchers in deeper leagues.