NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 05: César Prieto #31 of the St. Louis Cardinals in action during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 05, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesThe St. Louis Cardinals have spent much of the 2026 season searching for reliable production throughout their position player group, particularly from younger players trying to establish themselves in the majors.
One of those opportunities has not gone according to plan. Cesar Prieto earned a shot with the big-league club after putting together an impressive season at Triple-A Memphis, but his first extended look in the majors didn’t go as he might have hoped.
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The Cardinals optioned Prieto to Triple-A Memphis on Friday, according toNBC Sports. The move creates room for the expected promotion of an exciting prospect as Prieto struggled to reach base in his second look at the big leagues.
“The Cardinals needed to free up a spot on their active roster for the expected promotion of Joshua Baez from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday and it looks like Prieto drew the short straw this time around,” David Shovein reported for NBC Sports. “He’ll continue to serve as extra infield depth at the Triple-A level.”
The demotion comes after Prieto endured an extremely difficult start offensively. The Cuban native had been moved to the Cardinals’ hot corner but batted just .036 after a slow start at the plate.
“The 27-year-old infielder is just 2-for-34 so far at the major-league level but has been a steady performer at Triple-A Memphis, slashing .307/.373/.517 with 12 homers and a 25:38 BB over 71 games there this season,” CBS Sports noted as Prieto was set to face the Cubs on Friday.
Ultimately, that game might have been his last in the big leagues this year.
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Prieto’s .307/.373/.517 slash line, 12 home runs and a strong overall offensive track record in the minors suggest the Cardinals have not simply abandoned Prieto after a small sample of major-league struggles.
Instead, the move gives Prieto an opportunity to regain confidence and continue getting regular at-bats.
His immediate challenge will be turning that Triple-A production into something that can eventually translate against major-league pitching. But he should get the chance to earn a return to the big-league roster, likely next season, as the Cardinals continue evaluating controllable talent for what now appears to be a near-term rebuilding effort.
That being said, the Cardinals appear to have a pretty deep infield group of young talent, with Blaze Jordan the guy to beat for a third base role.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com