Does Adams’ Potential Injury Signal A Call For Oscar?

After a truly frustrating loss to the Yankees tonight in a game where the Cardinals seemed to put 60 runners on base and never could overcome a 7-0 deficit, a fine little theory was unleashed towards the end of the game by one of my favorite follows on Twitter, Justin Striebel(@jstriebel22). Here it is.

“If Adams’ injury lingers Taveras has to come up, right?”

Adams looked very uncomfortable in a 9th inning pinch hit appearance where he seemed to have a slim to none chance of bashing a game tying three run homer. Is the injury significant enough to book Adams on the DL and promote the young phenom? With as little of Oscar Taveras adoration displayed as possible, I will break it down.

What kind of calf injury does Adams have? This is yet to be determined, and it will have to be a decent ailment to take Adams off the roster. Love or hate his splits against lefties, but the big man is hitting at a very robust pace. He leads the team in multi-hit games and ranks among the league leaders so Mike Matheny and John Mozeliak aren’t going to simply throw him to the bench for a limping episode on Wednesday night. The injury is fresh and may heal in a matter of days. Is it a strain(tear) or a slight pull? Is it a mere cramp that just needs rest? When these questions are answered by the Cards medical staff, the state of grace looms larger for the I-55 train to truly fire up.

Is Oscar ready? Does a cold summer lager go down smooth on an 85 degree afternoon? Yes indeed ladies and gentlemen. Let’s examine what Oscar is doing right now down at Memphis. He is hitting .323 with a fine OPS(slugging + on base percentage) of .896. Taveras isn’t a base stealer(1 for 1) but he has genuine speed. He doesn’t strike out that much(only 25 in 186 at bats) and can take a base with 14 free passes. More importantly, Oscar has 15 doubles to go with 7 home runs(one less than Allen Craig and Matt Holliday combined) and 40 RBI. Sure, those long balls don’t come against Major League talent, but the simple question remains. Does Oscar have anything else to learn down on the farm or is he ready for some big league exposure? It’s May 29th, and the Super 2 deadline is still ahead of us. It’s only a matter of time before we see Oscar hit the big leagues and the Cards may not want to wait too much longer if a weapon is needed.

Don’t worry about his defense. He will mainly plant himself in right field and the kid will at least provide average to decent defense. In other words, the same as Allen Craig.

Why Oscar instead of Randal Grichuk? Excitement. With no offense to the young Grichuk(a mighty fine slugger in his own right), Oscar is a serious exciting talent and a player who gives a team instant buzz. What’s wrong with a little thunder in your lineup that comes from an unknown source? Pitchers and coaches can watch as much AAA film as they want but there is NO book on Taveras. He is a freak of nature currently clubbing home runs, spraying doubles around parks and he doesn’t strike out. He is 22 years old and ready to play. Grichuk will be here eventually but if there is another chance for a callup, Oscar has to be the guy. If the club is as serious about him as they say, the Super 2 deadline isn’t that big of a deal. You can wait…or you can pull the trigger. Strong bold coffee or light roast, ladies and gents?

What do you do when Adams comes back? Bye bye Shane Robinson. Oscar stays with the team and guess what…the Cards find a way to give Matt Holliday and Allen Craig rest. Oscar gets about 4-5 starts per week and the rest of the older bodies(especially Holliday) get a day off here and there. Think of our big left fielder as the Hulk version of Yadi Molina. Rest him more and he will shine later in the season. A few more leg kicks in front of a fastball and Holliday may have a few more long balls. Oscar can exist on this Cardinals team and give them a spark.

At the very least, if Adams hits the DL, Taveras gets 2 weeks to play every day and show the fans and his teammates what he has in store right now. If there is a spot on this team, the Cards can’t afford to delay the obvious. Promote the kid and let him run. What’s the worst that could happen? He’s 22 and has his whole career ahead of him. If he arrives and flops initially, he goes back to Memphis for more work. Look at what Kolten Wong did with those 2 weeks.

I am not saying I want Matt Adams to be seriously hurt and have to miss time. That would be foolish, stupid and even more foolish. Let me make myself clear here. This is a pure hypothetical statement. No clear thinking mind wants to see a .321 hitter land on the disabled list. Power or not, Adams is a hit machine right now and if his calf injury is nothing, that’s great news.  I am only stating IF Adams is indeed hurt, the Cards need to make a move and that move should be Oscar.

This is a no brainer. Once the Cardinals know the status of Matt Adams’ calf injury, they must make the move and start the Oscar march. If the rumors are true and the legend is met, the only need the team will need in July is pitching.

Once again, the hope is that Matt Adams is fine and doesn’t need 15 days to recuperate. However, if the Cards do need help from from the farm, Oscar Taveras is the ace in the hole.