St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez generated buzz last month when he hit three home runs in his MLB debut. The moment captured the attention of the MLB world. Baez has continued to display potential since his electric debut, but his season is set to come to an early end. On Friday, the Cardinals announced that Baez was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.

Infielder Cesar Prieto was promoted to the big league ball club in a corresponding roster move.

Baez, 23, ended up hitting .230/.278/.510 across 29 MLB games during the 2026 season. He added a total of seven home runs to go along with seven doubles and two stolen bases. It looks like he could become a star down the road. Baez is part of a young core of Cardinals players that fans are excited about for the future.

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St. Louis has exceeded expectations this year. Many thought the ball club would struggle all year long. Instead, St. Louis began the season strong and even looked like a contender at one point. While the wheels have fallen off a bit, the Cardinals have still hovered around the .500 mark for the most part — which means they have performed better than many expected.

This Cardinals ball club is currently focused on finishing the season strong, which will be easier said than done without Baez. St. Louis' next game is scheduled for 8:15 pm ET on Friday night against the Washington Nationals. The contest represents the first matchup of a three-game series in St. Louis.