The St. Louis Cardinals have recalled infield prospect Thomas Saggese to the major leagues prior to their contest on Friday. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals placed catcher Ivan Herrera (hamstring) on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain. Saggese is currently considered the No. 5 prospect in the system on MLB.com. The Cardinals drafted Saggese in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. The 23-year-old has appeared in 32 MLB games over the past two seasons and held a .267/.302/.400 slash line with six doubles, two home runs, and a 25:4 K:BB. However, through 42 games at Triple-A this season, Saggese has been quite productive, posting a .317/.402/.445 slash line with six doubles, five home runs, and five stolen bases. Fantasy managers should expect Saggese to have a role as a depth infielder, and he is not worth adding in any standard leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect Thomas Saggese was among the standouts for Triple-A Memphis in its 7-1 win over Jacksonville on Saturday. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, raising his batting line to .256/.350/.430 in 100 plate appearances at the minors' highest level this season. Saggese has also hit four home runs and registered a solid 12.6% walk rate with Memphis this year. The 23-year-old was more productive during a brief major league stint earlier this season, as he overcame a poor BB rate (4.5%) to slash a potent .341/.364/.512 with one homer in 44 trips to the plate. The Cardinals were dealing with injuries when they called up Saggese, but they sent him back to Memphis to receive everyday playing time when they got healthier. A return to the majors doesn't appear imminent if consistent at-bats aren't available for Saggese. As such, he's unlikely to be a factor for fantasy managers soon.

The St. Louis Cardinals recalled infield prospect Thomas Saggese from Triple-A Memphis on Friday after placing second baseman Nolan Gorman (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain. Saggese will head back to the big leagues after starting the year going 4-for-14 with a home run in his first four games with Memphis in the minors. The 22-year-old former fifth-rounder by the Texas Rangers in 2020 made his MLB debut last year with the Red Birds but played in only 18 games, going 10-for-49 (.204) with a homer, four RBI and 14 strikeouts in 52 plate appearances. Saggese has good bat-to-ball skills and raw power, but he must learn to become a more patient and selective hitter at this level if he's going to stick around. In his second big-league stint, expect him to serve as infield depth for the Cards while Gorman recovers.

St. Louis Cardinals second base prospect Thomas Saggese has been performing exceptionally well in the Arizona Fall League. The No.4 ranked prospect in St. Louis currently boasts an impressive .391/.524/.594 line with seven doubles, two home runs, three swiped bags, and a 16:15 BB:K ratio across 18 games. Last season, Saggese spent most of the summer playing with Triple-A before earning a brief taste of the big leagues. In 125 games with the Memphis Redbirds, the 22-year-old held a solid .253/.313/.438 line with 23 doubles, 20 home runs, and nine stolen bases. In his brief 18-game stint in St. Louis, Saggese posted a .204 AVG with just three extra-base hits. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress over the offseason as he could be a favorite to earn a spot on the Opening Day Roster.