Joshua Báez’s rookie season in the big leagues, one that started in historic fashion with homers in his first three at bats, ended with a whimper when the St. Louis Cardinals put him on the Injured List with an oblique strain on Friday. He ends 2026 with seven homers in 29 games.
Joshua Báez’s MLB rookie season, one that started in historic fashion with homers in his first three at bats, ended with a whimper on Friday when the St. Louis Cardinals put him on the Injured List with a left oblique strain.
Báez, 23, suffered the injury during his second at bat of the Cardinals’ 6-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants in 10 innings on Wednesday. Báez stayed in the game, but he was unable to take an at bat in the ninth inning because of the pain he was feeling, and he feared for the worst.
“Last game, second at bat, I just took a swing and felt a small bit (in his ribcage),” Báez said on Friday before the Cardinals faced the Nationals in the final home series of the 2026 season. “I tried to continue during the game, but the pain wouldn’t go down. It was painful to swing and be out there, so I just took myself out.”
Cesar Prieto was recalled from Triple-A Memphis to replace Baez on the active roster.
Báez, who opened his MLB career by homering in his first three at bats against the rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15, was taken for a magnetic resonance imaging test after Wednesday’s game and it revealed the oblique damage in his left side. Having to miss the rest of his first season was frustrating, but he said he is still happy that he got to experience the big leagues this year.
“You always want to finish with the boys and finish strong, but things happen and it was out of my hands,” said Báez, who was unsure if he would be traveling with the Cardinals to Pittsburgh and Milwaukee to close the season. “I’m just trying to rest, take it day by day and not push it now.
“I feel like I got my feet wet, played almost 30 games. So, it was good getting a good chunk of games. I just have to prepare for next year and be ready for 162.”
Báez, who hit 34 homers at Triple-A Memphis prior to being promoted on Aug. 15, sent a jolt through the baseball world by smacking home runs in the first three at bats of his career at Wrigley Field. He hit the first pitch he ever saw in the big leagues for a long homer to center field, battled back from a 0-2 count and drilled a line-drive homer into the bleachers in left and went the other way for an opposite-field long ball to do something no player in MLB history has ever accomplished.
“(The memory of that day) pops in and out, but I’m not the type to worry about what has happened, good or bad,” Báez said. “I’m just worried about today and the next game. After the season, I’ll think about (the three-homer day) and enjoy the moment.
“People bring that day up and how special it was to see and how impressive it was. There are so many people who have told me that they were just happy to be there that day to see it.”
Cardinals’ manager Oliver Marmol was equally bummed about the season-ending injury to Báez, but he thinks the young slugger will benefit greatly from getting the experience of playing in the big leagues in 2026.
“It’s unfortunate because you wanted him to finish the season and continue getting a taste of what this is all about, but now he will enter the offseason knowing exactly what to expect, how to handle it and what he’s working toward,” Marmol said. “He got enough of a taste that it was meaningful and I’m glad we (promoted him to the big leagues) when we did
Báez, a second-round pick in 2021, struggled badly in his first three professional seasons before making huge strides in 2025 while thriving with High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield. Earlier this season at Triple-A, Baez posted a .901 OPS in 103 games while smacking 22 doubles and walking 37 times to go along with his 34 homers and 90 RBI.
In 29 games with the Cardinals, Báez hit .230 (23 for 100) with seven doubles, seven homers and 18 RBI. While the Cardinals have some concerns about his 33 strikeouts in 108 plate appearances, it is the four walks that is more alarming. His lack of patience at the plate has led to his .278 on-base percentage and his OPS dropping to .788.
“He’s confident in what he knows, but he likes having conversations about what he doesn’t (know),” Marmol raved. “You can have a real conversation with him and he loves talking baseball. He loves to compete, he doesn’t scare and he’s going to be really good.”
Báez feels he proved that he can not only survive in the big leagues, but he can thrive and show more often the kind of difference-making power he flashed at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15.
“I proved that I’m capable and all the work I put in can translate here,” Báez said. “I’ve just got to be more consistent and continue to mature.”
