SAN FRANCISCO — Before the end of the regular season’s first month, one of the strengths the Cardinals insisted all spring they would use to their advantage — their depth, especially in the outfield — became a detriment they could no longer ignore.
In a series of unexpected moves meant to bring clarity to what has only created inconsistency, the Cardinals demoted prized prospect Jordan Walker to Class AAA Memphis 20 games into his major-league career. The two-pronged goal of the Cardinals’ decision was to assure Walker playing time so he can adjust his swing for production and to commit to a consistent outfield rotation and see if that spurs more production.