Before Sunday’s roster move that sent Victor Scott II back to the minor leagues, the dialogue between the rookie and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol not only involved what the 23-year-old needed to improve upon while in the minors but also affirmed his maturity in handling adversity.
“He was very adamant about ‘I need to go down there, put my head down and get back to work,’” Marmol said when recalling his talks with Scott. “’There are certain things I want to have more of a handle on. Being able to spray the ball. Use the whole field. Head-high line drives. Not (hitting it) in the air as much but also the short game of using the bunt and when to use it. Controlling the strike zone.’ He said all the right things. The conversation was great.”
Ahead of the Cardinals’ series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, Scott and righty Andre Pallante were optioned to Class AAA Memphis. Catcher Pedro Pages and right-handed reliever Nick Robertson were promoted in a corresponding move.
Before opening the season in the majors, Scott raced up the minor league system with a first full pro season that included a .302 batting average, a .369 on-base percentage and 94 steals in 132 games between Class AA and Class High-A. The Rawlings minor league Gold Glove winner backed up his regular season with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League and, as a nonroster invitee to spring training, batted .317 and produced a .404 on-base percentage in the Grapefruit League. A late spring training injury to Dylan Carlson opened a lane for Scott to race to the majors and begin his career with an opening day start in center field at Dodger Stadium.
In his first 20 games in the majors after skipping Class AAA, the quick-rising prospect batted .085 with a .138 on-base percentage and 15 strikeouts. The rookie produced an 11.1% line-drive rate. That figure was down more than 12% from his strong finish to the Double-A season in 2023, per FanGraphs.
“He (Scott), again, took it in a way where he’s like, ‘Man, I want to get down there and get to work because when I come back up, I want to be able to contribute.’ His headspace was really, really good,” Marmol said.
With Scott optioned to Memphis, the Cardinals started Michael Siani in center field against Milwaukee, and he was 1 for 2 with a walk in the Cardinals’ 2-0 loss. Siani, 24, remains in the mix for regular opportunities as the club’s center fielder in the near future. Lars Nootbaar, who started in right field, provides another center field option while Scott continues his development as a hitter and Tommy Edman (right wrist) and Carlson (left shoulder) continue rehabbing from their injuries.
Nootbaar has played only left and right field this year but is said to be “ready” to patrol center if needed.
Siani now is 4 for 20 with a triple and three walks in 19 games. He also has three sacrifice bunts, which led the majors entering Sunday’s play. Two of his hits came on Saturday after he made a leaping catch at the wall in right-center field to rob a potential extra-base hit from Brewers catcher William Contreras with two outs and the bases loaded in the second inning of a 12-5 Cardinals loss.
“He knows his game,” Marmol said of Siani. “He controls the zone extremely well. Rarely chases out of his own. He can draw a walk. He’s an elite runner. Just knows his game and sees the game well. He’s done a nice job. In spring training, he did a really nice job, too.”
Pallante to join Memphis rotation
With his option to Memphis, right-hander Andre Pallante will slot into the Class AAA club’s rotation as a way to give him enough opportunities to correct issues with his two-seam fastball, Marmol said.
Across 10 innings of relief, Pallante has a 6.30 ERA and has seen hitters produce a .318 batting average against him. When it comes to his fastballs, including his four-seamer and what Statcast has defined as his sinker, Pallante has had dips in vertical and horizontal movement on both pitches. His fastball has a minus-2 run value, while his sinker is minus-1, per Statcast.
“That two-seamer is inconsistent in the zone,” Marmol said. “He wants to be able to throw it more in and get it to where he can command it. Being able to throw 50 (to) 60 pitches at a time allows for that development. He’s eager to get down there and start that process.”
Catching flexibility
With Pages’ return to the majors, the Cardinals have three catchers as he joins starter Willson Contreras and backup Ivan Herrera. Pages’ roster inclusion gives the Cardinals the flexibility of using Herrera off the bench as a pinch hitter, as they did Sunday when he batted for Siani and grounded out in the ninth inning.
Herrera is batting .244 with three home runs and nine RBIs. The three home runs tie him with Nolan Gorman for the team lead. His 17.1% barrel rate through Saturday placed him within the top five of qualified major league hitters.
“He’s swinging a really good bat,” Marmol said of Herrera. “He’s done a nice job offensively, so that will allow us to use him a little bit more.”
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Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II walks back to the dugout after flying out during a game against the Marlins on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals optioned Scott to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, April 21, 2024.