The Cardinals have selected the contract of outfielder , as noted by . St. Louis had multiple spots available on its 40-man roster, so there was no need to create space for Churchs addition. Hell be taking the active roster spot of center fielder , who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left ankle sprain. Scott, 24, has appeared in 116 games for the Cardinals this year while serving as the clubs primary center fielder. While his offensive numbers leave something to be desired (hes hit .233/.311/.312 with a wRC+ of 81 this year), hes improved substantially relative to last years 40 wRC+ thanks to much stronger plate discipline. His elite defense and 31-for-33 record on the bases has made him a two-win player according to both Baseball References and Fangraphs versions of WAR. Hes been used le s often in recent weeks, with just 39 plate appearances since July 29, but the Cardinals have kept him as a regular presence in games even as his playing time has dwindled by using him as a pinch runner and defensive replacement Clint Capela Jersey . That makes losing Scott for any amount of time a tough blow, particularly given that super utility man and first baseman are both already out of the lineup with day-to-day injuries. All of this has created an opportunity for Church, who was an 11th-round pick by St. Louis back in 2022. Hes scaled the minor league ladder over the past few years in order to reach Triple-A this season, and hes looked quite good at the level through 53 games. Hes hitting .335/.400/.521 in 242 plate appearances since being promoted, with nine steals and 22 extra-base hits, including seven homers. Hes also managed to walk (24) nearly as many times as hes struck out (25). That impre sive all-around profile is certainly intriguing, and now it appears to have been enough to earn him a look at the big league level. Church has split his time between all three outfield spots in the minors fairly evenly, and its unclear where hell spend most of his time in the majors at this point. is entrenched in right field, while figures to handle either left field or center field on a regular basis but could switch between the two as needed. Burleson typically plays left field but has been handling first base in Contrerass absence, which could create an opening for Church to get some playing time while Contreras nurses his injury. Once the rest of the roster is healthy, Church is likely to operate in mostly a bench role but his lefty bat could be used to spell the right-handed Walker in tougher matchups. Tracy McGrady Jersey