Cardinals star third baseman Nolan Arenado has been placed on the injured list due to a shoulder strain, while Gorman returns from injury.

Today, the Cardinals have placed struggling third baseman Nolan Arenado on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain, continuing the team's strategic shift towards rebuilding after the trade deadline. The ten-time Gold Glove winner has recently faced the most significant slump of his career, with his offensive numbers in 2025 hitting an all-time low.

The 34-year-old Arenado has not hit a home run in 25 consecutive games since June 22, just four games shy of his personal record of 29 games without a home run. This marks the second time in his five years with the Cardinals that he has been placed on the injured list, the last being in 2023 due to a back injury that caused him to miss the final two weeks of the season.

On the same day, Nolan Gorman was activated from the injured list; he hit a home run during his rehab game with the Double-A Springfield team (for lower back pain). Baseball operations president John Mozeliak stated today that Gorman and Thomas Saggese will be prioritized for playing time for the remainder of the season.

“We will do our best to get Gorman at-bats,” Mozeliak said after the last trade deadline of his tenure (with Chaim Bloom taking over in 2026). “Although the timing of his return is not ideal, we need to help him regain his pre-injury form. This requires patience—opportunities will eventually arise.”

The Cardinals traded relief pitchers Helly, Matz, and Maton this week in exchange for six minor league prospects, and subsequently called up right-handers Ryan Fernandez, Andre Granillo, and Roddery Muñoz to fill the bullpen vacancies; all three have played for the Triple-A Memphis team this season.

Arenado missed two games in early July due to a right index finger sprain and sat out two more games from July 13 to 14 before the All-Star Game due to shoulder pain. The chain reaction of injuries resulted in a batting average of only .175 in July, with no home runs and 2 RBIs. This season, his batting average (.235), on-base percentage (.294), slugging percentage (.366), and OPS (.660) are all career lows over his 13 years.

Last December, Arenado used his no-trade clause to block a proposal to join the Astros, insisting on playing for a contending team. Before this deadline, he reconfirmed his trade list with Mozeliak, but ultimately stayed with the team due to a lack of suitable offers.

This star, who was viewed as a key piece for a championship team when he joined from the Rockies in 2021 and finished third in the NL MVP voting in 2022, has seen his consecutive streak of eight seasons with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs (excluding the shortened 2020 season) come to an end, with offensive output continuing to decline. According to Spotrac, his remaining contract is valued at $42 million ($27 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027).