Masyn Winn, who returned to the active roster on Tuesday after missing 13 games because of a fractured left thumb, was scratched from the starting lineup on Wednesday because of lingering pain in the thumb.
Finally back after missing 13 games, Masyn Winn’s return to the Cardinals didn’t last very long because of lingering soreness in his left thumb.
Out more than two weeks because of a fracture in his left thumb, Winn was active off the injured List on Tuesday night and went 0 for 4 at the plate in the Cardinals’ 2-1 loss to the Giants at Oracle Park.
Winn was in the starting lineup again for Wednesday’s series finale, but he was scratched before the first pitch because of lingering soreness in the thumb after playing nine innings a night earlier. Thomas Saggese, who held down the shortstop duties while Winn was out and then JJ Wetherholt was forced to the Injured List with right wrist tendinitis, moved over to shortstop in Wednesday’s game and Jose Fermin moved into the lineup and played second base.
While there might be some questions as to whether the Cardinals should shut Winn down for the remainder of the season with them falling six games back of the final Wild Card slot in the National League, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said soreness was almost expected from Winn a day after playing a game. Marmol said that Winn should be back in the starting lineup at Busch Stadium on Friday night when the Cardinals host the surprising Chicago White Sox.
“I spoke with Masyn after he hit in the cage and it’s one of those things where we said we’re going to be open about how he’s actually feeling, and he was honest and said the recovery wasn’t great after last night’s game,” Marmol said on Cardinals TV during his in-game interview with reporter Dani Wexelman. “So, we scratched him (from the starting lineup) and (Saggese) goes over to short and Fermin is inserted at second. We just buy (Winn) a day with another off day (on Thursday) and then he’ll be ready to go on Friday.”
Winn suffered the injury on Aug. 18 in a win over the Reds and in one of the best offensive games of Winn’s career. He homered and doubled twice – the first game of his MLB career with three extra-base hits – but snagged his thumb on second base while sliding in headfirst to beat a tag.
Winn missed the final four games of that road trip, and when the pain in his thumb lingered, it was X-rayed again and a fracture was revealed, sending Winn to the Injury List for the first time since last September when Winn needed arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
At issue for Winn has been his ability to grip a bat. He will have to clear that hurdle prior to being cleared to play on Friday at Busch Stadium.
On the season, Winn has slashed .236/.312/.323/.635 with 19 doubles, five homers and 51 RBI. A Gold Glove winner in 2025, Winn ranks eighth in MLB in Outs Above Average (15) this season. Chicago veteran Dansby Swanson, who has been on the Injured List since Aug. 16 with an oblique strain, ranks first among National League shortstops in OAA with 16.
