Alec

Burleson

With the Cardinals facing a left-handed starting pitcher for the second day in a row, Burleson will take a seat for the second straight day. Lars Nootbaar will be starting in left field and Ivan Herrera will start at DH.

Burleson had gone seven games without driving in a run prior to Monday’s game. He had an RBI double in the seventh inning and an RBI single in the ninth inning. Burleson is hitting .277 with a .768 OPS and 72 RBI as his breakout season continues.

Burleson gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead with a two-run shot off an ineffective Bobby Miller. Burleson now has 21 homers in his breakout season, and he’s driven in 70 batters while slashing .278/.311/.465 on the year.

It’ll be Victor Scott II in center field, with Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan in the corners, and Alec Burleson at designated hitter, on Saturday night at Busch Stadium. Walker has gone 1-for-8 with three strikeouts in three games since returning to the majors earlier this week after an extended hot streak at Triple-A Memphis that coincided with some mechanical adjustments to his swing. The 22-year-old former top prospect is unlikely to carve out enough consistent playing time in the Cardinals’ crowded outfield mix to make a significant impact for fantasy managers down the home stretch, but he’s a name to watch heading into next year.

With the Reds throwing left-hander Andrew Abbott, Burleson will slide to the bench alongside Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman. The Cardinals will instead slot Jordan Walker into the lineup and have Pedro Pages catching with Willson Contreras at DH. This is not ideal news for Burleson, who has been a breakout star this season but is hitting just .205/.230/.291 against left-handed pitching this year. With Walker now on the roster, the Cardinals can sit Burleson against lefties, which puts him into a strong side platoon for, potentially, the remainder of the season.

With the Reds throwing left-hander Andrew Abbott, it will be Walker in right field, Victor Scott II in center field, and Tommy Pham in left field. Brendan Donovan will also play second base, which means all of Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, and Lars Nootbaar will shift to the bench. Reports have suggested that the Cardinals plan to primarily play Walker against lefties to start, and they have really struggled against left-handed pitching this season, so today’s lineup is not great news for Burleson, Nootbaar, and Gorman who could all be pushed into strong side platoons and not full-time roles.

Burleson just keeps on hitting. He’s up to 66 RBI on the year, most on the Cardinals by a wide margin, and 34 extra-base hits. This was also Burleson’s ninth start this season at first base. The 10th will be very relevant in some leagues, giving Burleson that ever so valuable first base and corner infield eligibility.

Burleson kicked off the scoring with a first-inning blast -- his 19th round-tripper of the season -- off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon. He also kicked off the Cardinals’ eighth-inning rally with a one-out walk before coming around to score later in the frame on Brendan Donovan’s single. The 25-year-old corner outfielder has hit a bit of a cold spell over the last few weeks, but still has seven homers over his last 30 contests.

Pham started his career with the Cardinals in 2014 and played four seasons there before being traded away. He’ll now return to St. Louis after hitting .266/.330/.380 in 70 games for the White Sox with five home runs, six steals, and 33 runs scored. The 36-year-old figures to play frequently in left field, with Alec Burleson spending most of his time at DH and Brendan Donovan returning to a super-utility role. However, the Cardinals love to play matchups and rotate their lineup, so Pham may not start as much as he did with the White Sox, even though he gets a major upgrade in team context. The White Sox will now have right field available for Gavin Sheets, though he’s been playing most of the time anyway.

The 25-year-old just continues to produce. He’s now up to 18 home runs and 59 RBI on the season while hitting .294./.324/.500. He has emerged as an everyday player in St. Louis and should be started in all fantasy formats right now.